Senators must begin Monday, November 6 to study the immigration bill, one of the measures of which plans to create a residence permit for undocumented immigrants employed in professions in shortage.
In this Marseille classroom that looks like an apartment, the teacher is a childcare worker and handles a baby doll, in front of the attentive gaze of five women of foreign origin. She trains them in the home help profession: an initiative of the Federation of Individual Employers to prevent the shortage of labor in the sector. As the immigration bill arrives in the Senate this Monday, its article 3 is debated, because it plans to regularize undocumented immigrants working in professions in shortage, such as personal care.
While the teacher explains how to clean a baby, Sofata, a Comorian, is delighted with this training. She sees it as an opportunity to obtain a position in France. “I’ll be able to work, I’m so happy“, she slips. The other students are Moroccan, Algerian, Senegalese and even Ukrainian. Their training lasts four months, and includes French lessons, citizenship, but also practical tests, explains Virginie Pappalardo, the manager.
“They have all the techniques, all the practices to be able to work with children or the elderly. It gives them dignity to be able to work from home while being professionals.”
Virginie Pappalardo, training managerfranceinfo
“This training opens doors“, confirms Moufida, a 46-year-old Algerian. She obtained her very first diploma thanks to this initiative and had no difficulty finding work. “When I finished the training, I worked for someone. Now I work for someone else. I like helping people“, she explains.
The home employment sector is short of manpower. “We have a total of 800,000 positions to fill by 2030“, indicates Pierre Olivier Ruchenstain, director of the federation of individuals, who warns of the aging of the population. He also recalls that one in five home help employees is foreign. “The migratory phenomenon in our sector exists. We are in favor of regularization, which we believe is necessary in any case.“, he adds.
To support migrants who wish to work in home help, the Federation of Individual Employers intends to increase its training in France, starting with the Paris region.