Near Toulouse, a school mobilizes young people who have dropped out of school around environmental jobs
In Lahage, in the middle of the potato fields, young people are discovering market gardening. The Occitanie Ecological Transition School initiated by the 3PA association supports them in training for green professions. A sector that should provide more than a million jobs in France by 2050.
That morning, in the countryside in the Toulouse plain, 12 young people between the ages of 17 and 24 set off to explore an organic market garden. In the bus, good humor dominates.
When they arrive at Jean-François’ farm, they put on their boots and quickly get into practice. Comment potato planter? And it works pretty well.
The team of journalists Delphine Aldebert and Enrique Garibaldi collect the impressions of Jules: “In market gardening, it’s the rhythm that interests me. I come back to what I saw when I was little in the countryside”.
Former young people in green jobs
The environmental education and training association 3PA (Penser-Parler-Partager-Agir) located near Toulouse makes two observations: 100,000 young people leave the school system without a diploma every year while employment in the trades greens linked to the ecological transition have bright prospects in the years to come.
She decides to create in 2017, the Lahage Ecological Transition School. This first structure establishes the pillars of a new educational approach: privileging the practice of the field, learning by sharing experiences within a group, opening the doors of the school to people without diplomas but motivated.
There is only this school where I was able to stay.
Jules, intern
Jules looks back on his journey: “I left the school system and I could not come back for a long time. There is only in this school where I could stay. The supervisors ensure that the emulation comes from the group to create and not just one person who is going to lead ”.
One million jobs by 2050
Since 2008, theADEME (Agde ecological transition) regularly draw up an inventory of the markets and jobs associated with the sectors in France engaged in the energy transition.
And the outlook is good. It estimates that in 2030, between 280,000 and 400,000 jobs will be created in this sector and up to a million if we look to 2050.
Back to school. That week, the theme for young people is agriculture. They meet in addition to Jean-François, the organic market gardener, a miller and a cereal grower.
Laure, supervisor of 3PA explains the corn sought in the meeting with farmers: “I hope that these young people will click into contact with a professional. And if so, we will help them find either training or an internship suited to their level of competence.”
Raise awareness of eco-responsibility
The school takes care of young people from 18 to 25 years old. In addition to support towards a professional path to green jobs, it makes them aware of eco-responsibility.
Jean-François, the market gardener who welcomes them is also working in this direction: “The goal today is to show them that we can work practically without mechanization, without chemical fertilizers and on a small area while respecting the principles of agro”.
A carpentry training course
In addition to the discovery of environmental trades, the school has offered a qualifying CAP in carpentry training since 2019. Students respond to orders from municipalities or individuals to make furniture such as these low tables that the sur see on these photos posted on the school’s facebook account.
Thanks to various public partners, such as the Occitanie region and organizations raising awareness of environmental issues such as the Foundation for Nature and Man by Nicolas Hulot, access to the Lahage Ecological Transition School is free.
In January 2021, a new School of Ecological Transition is located in the center of the Ecoparc du Mas Dieu in the town of Montarnaud. It offers training in wood, eco-construction, renewable energies, agro-ecology and is aimed at young people (primarily 18 to 25 years old) without a diploma prerequisite.