In Cap Sizun, social integration and the environment go hand in hand

"We are interested in local initiatives that develop the skills of people who have experienced difficulties and who want a better chance of finding a job through work or training. We agreed to set up a partnership with the Cap Sizun CIAS based on providing placements for work scheme employees in our local teams. The aim is to give work scheme employees the opportunity move their work project forward and for Veolia to have a pool of job seekers available when recruiting." Marc Le Bodo

Since 2004, when it was founded, the Centre Intercommunal d’Action Sociale (CIAS) in Cap Sizun has been developing social projects. It manages two integration projects: one focusing on personal services and one on the environment. About forty jobseekers participate in this program which is characterized by the technical supervision, strong social and professional support, and individual training plans it provides.
 
Beneficiaries of the RSA minimum income allowance, the specific solidarity allowance (SSA) and the disabled worker allowance (RQTD) are eligible. It also takes young people who have dropped out of school and unemployed people aged over 50. For all of them, who are having difficulty finding work, these actions are a stepping-stone to employment. In 2016, the outcome was positive for 85% of them - a job, a training course with a qualification, etc.
 
Green space programs
In 2016 the CIAS began working on the need to offer work scheme employees a range of support activities. It led to the creation of the green space and landscaping training course set up in January 2017. Participants learn how to trim hedges, mow lawns, create flowerbeds, etc. The trainees also address the notion of the differentiated management of these spaces, in other words not giving the same care to every environment in order to encourage diversity and good health. New ecological as well as social, cultural and economic challenges are also included in the training program.
 
A growth market
Work scheme employees maintain and restore the four hectares of public green spaces in Cap Sizun made available by the local authority. Thanks to the support of the Veolia Foundation, the association has been able to acquire a van to transport its employees.
 
The work benefits everyone: maintaining the GR34 coastal path, walking and mountain biking circuits, cleaning up rivers, etc.
 
The training leads to a job as a green space maintenance operative. With this new work experience, the trainees open the doors to the local labour market. For example, campsites, holiday residences, and holiday centres in the Cap Sizun tourist industry all offer job opportunities. The municipal technical services are also potential employers, as are local landscape companies.