High-Demand Sectors: Enhancing Job Attractiveness Through Mobility

Published on: 04/11/2022Updated on: 04/11/2022

What are intersectoral mobilities? It's about moving from one sector to another by leveraging transferable skills and complementing them to consider multi-activity. This topic was at the heart of the study and reflection day organized on October 13 by Région Sud, IPERIA, and Pôle Services à la Personne PACA to enhance the attractiveness of high-demand domestic work occupations. Indeed, it's the region where the number of individual employers is increasing the most in France, along with Ile-de-France, while the number of employees is slightly declining (retirements, COVID-19, etc.). How do intersectoral mobilities arise? How can we support these professional transitions? What synergies are possible between high-demand sectors? How can we communicate about transferable skills? All these questions were discussed during this day.

he Domestic Work Sector in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Pressures in the Var

The domestic work sector currently represents 192,636 individual employers and 90,040 employees in this region. The Var is the department with the highest proportion of seniors in the region (13.6%), with the number of people over 85 having increased by 50% in the past 15 years and expected to double by 2040[1].

The average age of employees in this sector is over 50 years old. This creates a dual challenge: we must not only meet the growing demand for personal carers to support an aging population over 65, but also prepare to replace a significant portion of our workforce as they approach retirement.[2].

Given immediate and future needs, it's estimated that over the next eight years, over 60,200 dependency personal carers, family assistants, and 17,200 childcare providers in the Sud region will need to be trained and recruited [3].

A Well-Established Professionalization Dynamic

In 2018, the professional branch of individual employment and domestic work and Région Sud signed a partnership agreement to develop employee qualifications. As a result, more than 700 certification pathways have been initiated for IPERIA certifications (skills blocks and qualifications). On average, 67% of people are employed 6 months after obtaining their certification, and 2/3 of employed people have at least one contract with an individual employer.

In parallel, continuing education increased by 30% in the region in 2021, with 7,500 training enrollments, making it one of the most dynamic regions. These training enrollments are encouraged by the branch, which finances 58 hours of training per year per employee under the skills development plan.

Intersectoral Mobilities at the Heart of IPERIA's Work

As part of the EDEC for the professional branch of individual employment and domestic work, IPERIA conducted a pre-diagnostic study of intersectoral mobility areas, funded by the Skills Investment Plan (PIC). Objective: to assess which sectors best enable mobility and identify transferable skills.

To test, verify, and deepen the planned intersectoral pathways while identifying obstacles and motivations for these mobilities, a qualitative study was conducted in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Occitanie. Three sectors were targeted: retail, hotel-restaurant, and entertainment.

During the event organized in Toulon, Tom Chabert, institutional relations manager at IPERIA, presented the main conclusions of the pre-diagnostic study to open discussion paths for the workshops.

Comparing Skills Frameworks Between Original and Target Occupations

Many transferable skills exist, from hotel-restaurant occupations to domestic work occupations, such as organization, communication, respect for people, service orientation, etc. In entertainment occupations, emphasis is primarily placed on reception, interpersonal skills, and availability.

Study of Professional Trajectories

Employees who have transitioned to domestic work occupations are mainly women, between 35 and 57 years old, with education levels between below high school and 2 years of undergraduate studies
It's generally a first personal or private experience (as an employee, volunteer, or family member) that sparks an interest in supporting people
Mobility most often occurs after a desired or unexpected break in private or professional life—a triggering event that prompts a career change
Those interviewed are generally attracted by the values associated with the sector occupations: seeking purpose, meaning and recognition, the appeal of human contact and relationships

Identifying Pathways: Drivers of Action and Key Points for Reflection

The mobility process involves three stages: independent reflection, guided orientation, and confirming training. It is, therefore, necessary to act on these three levers.

The results of IPERIA's study can apply to multi-activity and outline paths that can promote this type of initiative, including:

Equipping professional orientation experts with job-specific knowledge
Communicating about occupations and transferable skills applied during these professional transitions
Raising awareness about employment opportunities in the sector and its advantages highlighted by employees themselves, namely human contact and autonomy
Strengthening partnerships with skills assessment operators and career development advisors
Deepening reflections on occupations in other sectors to identify possibilities for joint initiatives

This day facilitated the creation of a roadmap to address the challenges of multi-activity or intersectoral mobility in high-demand personal services and domestic work occupations, in connection with other sectors also affected by these issues (tourism, entertainment, transport, and commerce).

Thanks to all the speakers and participants who made this event a success. This local initiative could inspire others in different territories.

[1] FEPEM Domestic Employment Observatory
[2] ACOSS / IRCEM
[3] "Employment Monitoring" survey conducted by IPERIA