French Navy’s 400th anniversary: commitments, missions and trades to be discovered

What was the purpose of your participation in these Days?

Mario Benedetti:  Half of our sailors come from inland. Our links with the entire country are therefore vital for our activities. Beyond our home ports, however, the Navy is not sufficiently well-known by our citizens, or is sometimes seen as a force that operates offshore, far away from their concerns. This is why we need to reach out to young people in all our regions, as well as their parents and local education bodies, alongside our industrial partners, to introduce them to our missions and the training and career opportunities we offer, as well as the skills that experience in the Navy allows them to acquire. Day-to-day we are supported in this process by our local relays, such as information and recruitment centres for the armed forces, reservists, etc. But this anniversary represents a particular opportunity to bring us closer to the French people, especially young people seeking commitment or attracted to demanding professions, and to make them aware of the essential role of the Navy in the defence and sovereignty of our country.

Tanguy de Nomazy: The Youth and Offshore Territories Days have pushed us to leave our dockyards and reach out to all mainland and overseas territories. Our defence relies on both the link between the nation and the army and a better knowledge of its actions. These days were therefore primarily aimed at creating or reinforcing this link. During the activities offered, we wanted to convey the following messages: the Navy protects our interests in concrete terms through its various missions. In addition, those contributing to its operation come from all over the country, whether they be sailors, our industrial companies, public institutions or reservists.

Laurent Fay: Our approach is the same. For Naval Group, these days were of major interest in terms of image and attractiveness. Through our partnerships, particularly with leading engineering schools, we have noted that many young people far from our sites of activity – all of which are, with one exception, located on the coast – are very interested in our professions but don’t think of applying to work with us, because they don’t know us. This was the case for students at the École des Mines Saint-Étienne, for example. We therefore need to get out and meet these young people to talk to them about our professions and our missions, and help them in their quest for meaning by making them want to come and work with us!

What challenges do you share in terms of attractiveness? 

Mario Benedetti: The French Navy and Naval Group are both recruiters and training bodies. The Navy recruits in 80 professions – particularly in highly specialised fields such as nuclear, digital technology and cybersecurity. Recruitment needs are 20% higher in 2026 compared to the number of new recruits in 2025, including the new national service – whether in traditional roles (sailors, petty officers and officers) or in technical fields through military apprenticeship (via a professional baccalaureate, a vocational training certificate (BTS) or an undergraduate diploma (BUT)).
The military apprenticeship courses we provide at the École Atomique de Cherbourg, the Naval Training Centre of Brest and the Pôle Ecoles Méditerranée of Saint-Mandrier enable participants to obtain an academic degree and then work with a military status. National service, implemented from September 2026, is a new method of recruitment: 600 such contracts are open this year. We therefore take on young people with or without initial academic training and provide them with know-how related to the sea, enabling us to supply candidates for high-demand technical professions, not only in the Navy but also in industry. In fact, it is not uncommon for our employees, after several years in the Navy, to embark on a second career in the defence technological and industrial base (DTIB), particularly at Naval Group. We are therefore closely linked and our stories have been intertwined for a long time. We also collaborate within the Groupement des industries de construction et activités navales (GICAN, the French maritime industry association) and promote the maritime sector to young French people through a partnership with French national education authorities.
 

Marie-Gabrielle de Bondy: Over the past three years, we have recruited 4,500 employees to meet the workforce needs of our programs. For many years, we most often recruited people with a maritime culture, because of their personal interests or their geographical origins. However, the labour market is under pressure in our traditional employment areas. We therefore need to expand our scope of attractiveness beyond the coast and make our products and our businesses known in order to benefit in terms of recruitment. 
We are developing our partnerships with vocational high schools, university institutes of technology (IUT) and engineering schools. In addition, we take on 400 trainees and 500 apprentices each year, who constitute a real recruitment pool for our group. Finally, we play a role in professional integration and reintegration through joint qualification certificates in metallurgy (CQPM), which we offer in several professions.