Recrutment and training

At the end of 2005 the company had 3,638 employees, compared with 3,178 in 2004; this increase is explained by the external growth operations and the recruitment of new employees. Worldwide over the financial year, 1,417 people were recruited, 226 of whom to newly created posts, compared with 1,085 in the previous year. The company also reduced its rate of temporary workers from 10 to 6%, preferring to enter into steady contracts. Once again the considerable effort of this year was put into attracting young people to the company, who represented 15% of new recruits.

Partnerships

At the same time, the Group continued to participate in a number of national and local student forums and strengthened its partnerships with educational institutions by organising site visits, offering placements and training contracts and awarding bursaries to certain students.

Trainings

Worldwide in 2005, 2,234 employees received internal or external training, with a total of 29,504 hours of teaching over the year, increasing on the previous year (28,815 hours and 1,530 employees). Of these trainees, 128 attended courses given at the Eugčne Freyssinet internal training centre in Perray-en-Yvelines (France), where 2,331 hours of training were given, 23% more than in 2004. The financial year was also marked by the setting up of test ŤPrestressing Specialistť training sessions on an international scale, designed to harmonise knowledge of techniques within the Group. For example, the training, which is compulsory in France for employees performing prestressing work, was given in Romania in June. As part of its 4-5-6 action plan, Freyssinet also organised a massive internal training campaign during November and December. Seven training sessions on marketing and sales techniques, led by an external consultant, were held in France, Spain and the United Kingdom, for groups of around twenty people.