An international competition dedicated to young people and vocational training, the Olympiades des Métiers held its 48th edition at the Parc des Expositions in Bordeaux from 17 to 19 October. Bringing together 72 trades, this event gives young people the chance to perform demonstrations in front of a large audience, and to share the breadth of their techniques and know-how. Joris Besnard, head of the scheme for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, takes a look back at this highly emotional event.
These finals in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region showcase the excellence of our skills and can inspire future vocations. What events or demonstrations stood out for you this year?
First of all, I'd like to mention the new feature of this year's event, the themed tours. The partners took advantage of the event to offer special tour slots (interactive tours, participatory workshops, etc.). and help people discover new professional horizons. It completes our offer and it's a great step forward! In terms of pure demonstrations, between these 72 specialities, I've always had a soft spot for landscape gardening. They combine plants, plumbing, construction and building... I love these multi-skilled vocations! In the same vein, visual merchandising[1] is just as special. It requires a mastery of design, storyboarding, decoration, carpentry, painting... Once again, we're at the crossroads of different professions!
This 48th edition of the Olympiades des Métiers took place at the Parc des Expositions in Bordeaux. How does this venue meet the specific requirements of an event of this scale?
It's the only venue in the region capable of hosting us, thanks to its capacity, since the event occupies 30,000 m² of floor space, including 26,000 m² dedicated to the competition, 2,000 m² of orientation space, plus a small amount of storage and communal space. I'd also like to point out one of the Exhibition Centre's real assets: Hall 1 is all in one piece. What better way to enhance the visitor experience! Then, in terms of assembly, the lorry doors, scattered every six doors, mean that you can fit in anything you need, and in large volumes at that. Let me remind you that for us, it's a matter of fitting a helicopter, 7 tractors, 8 lorries, 10 cars, a herd of sheep... and so on.
How did the BEAM teams support you throughout the organisation of the Olympiades des Métiers? How did they help you meet the specific requirements of the event?
We benefited from constant support from the same BEAM team from the beginning to the end of the project, which was very much appreciated. If we go back to the main thread of the project, this support covered both budgetary and administrative issues relating to the event, as our institution complies with the strict rules of public procurement. In my opinion, this is a fairly complex event, and it was above all the team's willingness to listen and respond to each of our issues that stood out for me!
If you had to sum up this latest edition of the Olympics in three words?
Skills, excellence and show! I'd add a fourth: team spirit. These Olympiads are the result of the work of 700 trade teams, mainly volunteers (trainers, company directors, retired people, etc.) who give up their time to make this event happen. Their human commitment makes this event like no other!
