Professional integration: a practical mission and a collective responsibility
On our construction sites, above all else, there is expertise that feeds into a shared project. But behind every skill, there are women and men with their own life stories. Each project is an opportunity to promote inclusion, create local jobs and contribute to regional cohesion.
At ETF, we consider professional integration to be a given: because our professions are passed on in the field and because a company rooted in the local area must be a player in its economic and social development.
In this new issue of ‘Aiguillage’, we take you to the heart of our integration initiatives through concrete examples and testimonials.
Bertrand Murcier’s point of view
Head of Human Resources at ETF
“Choosing to engage in integration is an opportunity, not a constraint.“
“We have chosen to view inclusion clauses not as a regulatory constraint to be applied in a rigid manner, but as a real opportunity. An opportunity for recruitment, knowledge transfer and the creation of useful career paths. The idea is to do things constructively, with training programmes that lead to qualifications or even certification, to enable people who are distant from the job market to find their place, and for us to benefit from new skills.
In a tight job market, there is everything to gain from seeking out candidates who would not have approached us spontaneously. They can sometimes be unexpected sources of talent, with highly motivated individuals who are eager to learn and get involved. When given the opportunity, they seize it. And when we manage to integrate them into the company on a long-term basis, it is nothing but beneficial for the business.
It’s a virtuous, win-win approach: for the people we support, for our teams, and even for our partners, because it also gives meaning to our joint projects. Working together, in partnership with our clients and local stakeholders, is the best way to make integration a concrete action, and not just a box to tick. “
Integration at ETF, from the field to success
Each project represents much more than just the construction of railway infrastructure. It is an opportunity to build sustainable, inclusive and meaningful career paths.
On the Lunéville–Sarrebourg line, which was recently renovated at an unprecedented pace (more than 50 kilometres of track in six weeks), human commitment was as important as technical performance. Prior to the project, five people on integration programmes were trained at our ETF Academy centre before joining the reinforcement teams. Accompanied in the field, they actively participated in track clearance operations (up to 1,200 metres per night), demonstrating that the demand for results and social commitment can go hand in hand. This project embodies ETF’s ambition: to combine infrastructure modernisation and local development in the service of people.
Trajeo’h: supporting every talent, whatever their situation
With Trajeo’h, a VINCI initiative promoting the long-term employability of people with disabilities, we are also working to include those who are vulnerable due to illness, accident or loss of ability. It is a win-win initiative for both employer and employee, with inspiring and resilient career paths that command respect. This is the case for Pierre JOURJON, a research officer at ETF:
” I was involved in an accident at the age of 21 and have been paraplegic for fifteen years. My integration into the company went very well because I was quickly considered an able-bodied person. I started as a draughtsman; today, I am a design engineer. Even with an 80% disability, it is possible to have a position of responsibility and to progress. Anything is possible. “
The same positive assessment applies to Sylvain MAINET, manager of the Montereau centre, a logistics platform for the assembly of catenary equipment.
” It’s great to see people who are somewhat marginalised by society integrating and working with us as if nothing had changed. We shouldn’t be afraid of disability. People may be different, but they are just as capable of doing the job as anyone else, and sometimes even better! “
While integration is therefore a key focus of our HR policy, it is above all a pillar of our social responsibility, because building sustainable infrastructure also means creating sustainable jobs.
By signing the ‘Charter of 1000’, ETF is committed to continuing to increase these actions by promoting access to employment for people with disabilities, young people without qualifications and people undergoing retraining. Find out more
Integration at ETF means:
- Over 30 work-study programmes available in the railway sector
- Over 15,000 hours of integration completed on the Laon-Hirson construction site
- 100% of major projects include professional integration commitments
- Over 50 employees hired after completing an integration or work-study programme in 2024
At ETF, we believe in practical, useful and sustainable integration. Because tomorrow’s mobility is built on everyone’s skills.
