Driven by the ecological, economic and societal context, repair is once again a sector of the future. Rapid growth for a sector lacking in resources and which remains unattractive to young people. Giving people an incentive and training are the two future challenges of the profession. A workshop tour of the situation.
The French are repairing their household appliances more and more
In 2020, the sector suffered a demand shock at the end of the first lockdown (read the interview with Emmanuel Benoit) following the closing of many technical stations. Technicians are still catching up with this delay in interventions. At Agoragroup, an average increase per technician of 15% in workload is estimated. In addition to the work overload, there is a particularly favorable context in 2021 with the implementation of the repairability index, the construction of the repair fund and the re-use of parts. Homes are turning more to repair rather than purchase. The economic, health and ecological situation is forcing us to rethink certain consumption models. In order to be able to meet the increasing demand for repairs, the sector must quickly recruit new technicians.
A lack of technicians: how to attract young people?
Within 5 years with the retirement of the historical technicians, the trade may be in jeopardy if repairers are unable to train the next generation. A real challenge for the household appliances sector, which suffers from a lack of recognition. “Our job has everything to appeal to young people: autonomy, dynamism, interpersonal skills and field work” explains Bruno Simarro, head of the EDM technical station in Perpignan. Technician for 27 years, he has been a member of StarSav, the network of independent approved repairers, and every year he trains apprentices: “I myself started at the age of 16 and today I’m the managing director,” explains Bruno, “it’s a job that requires time to learn, but you can quickly become independent and become your own boss”. Bruno tries to pass on his passion for the trade to young people by training them in the workshop “They feel great satisfaction when they manage to understand how an appliance works, it’s a bit like a game of logic”. Currently, two apprentices are part of the EDM team and one of them is continuing his adventure with a permanent work contract.
Federating initiatives to promote the repairer’s profession
Our group, which for 20 years has been a driving force between the various players in the repair sector, from SMEs to large groups, is currently considering using its ability to bring people together to launch a recruitment initiative. By unifying all the professionals, Agoragroup wishes to renew the image of the technician, particularly among young people, with fun and offbeat communication campaigns. The aim is to promote the positive aspect of the job, the everyday superhero repairer? See you this spring.