Inauguration of a garage school near Le Mans

Created in 2020 by Motul, Norauto and the National Federation of Production Schools?(FNEP), the association Les Garages Ecoles initiated the creation of a Production School in Allonnes (Sarthe) offering a Vehicle Maintenance diploma. The Garage Ecole du Mans opened its doors in November 2022. Focused on training young people in mechanical professions, this center was inaugurated today.?

Motul and Norauto, the founders of the association, are companies in the automotive sector that are already very involved in general interest actions with young people. As part of a programme to promote the professionalisation of young people from the age of 15 and in partnership with the National Federation of Production Schools, Motul and Norauto have set themselves the objective of opening 12 accredited schools over the next 10 years and, in the long term, ensuring the training of 700 students per year.

The Garage Ecole du Mans is committed to the training and employment of young people

Created in 2021 thanks to the support of the Pays de la Loire region, the Sarthe department, the Le Mans urban area, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and numerous companies and sponsors, the Garage Ecole du Mans has been welcoming its first class of 15 students since October 2022. This two-year training course is free of charge, leading to a diploma and a qualification and culminating in a diploma in vehicle maintenance. It is based on the "doing to learn" educational model of the National Federation of Production Schools.

Designed to help young people aged 15 to 18 who want to make a career in the automotive industry, to encourage apprenticeships and to deal with the shortage of mechanics, the programme comprises a classic base of general education (30%) and a professional and practical part representing 70% of the teaching, given in a workshop and based on the real conditions of a car garage. Thanks to the teaching exercises carried out on real orders, the students are immediately empowered and put in a situation, by carrying out maintenance and repairs on vehicles belonging to real customers.

This apprenticeship model thus enables students from the age of 15 to quickly find a job in the automotive industry, a sector under great pressure where many positions are vacant despite a permanent need for qualified personnel (mechanics, bodyworkers, painters, etc.).

For future candidates, a strong motivation and an overwhelming passion for the automobile and mechanics will be the essential criteria for integration.

"With the opening of this Vehicle Maintenance training course, we are pleased to be able to offer an additional option to young people attracted by a different way of learning in the automotive mechanics sector. This new apprenticeship model aims to lead them to successful professional integration in a sector that is recruiting",?comments Bertrand CORBEAU, President of the Garage Ecole du Mans Association and director of the ACO.

The training and the diploma obtained will give these young people the possibility of continuing their studies towards the Professional Vehicle Maintenance Baccalaureate.

A project that is in line with the historical commitments of Motul and Norauto

Norauto and Motul are very proud to be involved in providing expertise, materials and professional knowledge to young teenagers, in addition to financial support.

"We are proud to be associated with this educational project and to support Les Garages Ecoles in the opening of this new establishment. This ambitious project is totally in line with Motul's DNA, which has been working since 2011 all over the world, through its Motul Corazón Foundation, to promote apprenticeships for young people and equip them with the tools to integrate into the world of work. Indeed, young people trained in this way are guaranteed to find a career in a sector in great demand", explains Michel RIVOIRE, President of the Motul Corazón Foundation.

"Norauto has always been committed to apprenticeships and the transmission of knowledge, it supports young people in their professional integration and is also keen to support those with a different background. We are very proud to be able to offer young people between the ages of 15 and 18, including students who may be experiencing difficulties, the opportunity to benefit from a course of excellence that leads to a professional qualification in the automotive industry. Thanks to the teaching methods of the production schools and the contributions of Motul and Norauto in the field, the young people benefit from comprehensive support and a tremendous boost to their integration", explains Anne GENTILLE, general delegate of the Norauto Foundation.

ABOUT THE GARAGES ECOLES ASSOCIATION

Les Garages Ecoles is an association founded in 2020 by Motul and Norauto in partnership with the National Federation of Production Schools. The aim of the Garages Ecoles is to create a network of a dozen Garages Ecoles based on the Federation's " Doing for Learning " model. These young people benefit from the opportunities for mentoring, internships, open-mindedness, scholarships and jobs that the Garages Ecoles network offers them. After the extension of Lille and Lens in 2021, three Garages Ecoles were opened in 2022 in Le Mans, Orchy and Argentan. The Association also supported actions in Ecaut, Annemasse, and Eccofor.?