For the 8the Altifort, an international industrial group specializing in fluids and mechanical engineering, presents its vision of the industry of the future and the important role to be played by women.
"Our overall objective is to reach 15 to 20 % of women on our production jobs by 2020, they represent today only 9 % while this objective is reached on support functions." says Bart Gruyaert, CEO of the Altifort Group.
To achieve this goal, the Altifort Group is present at a number of job fairs, particularly those focusing on work-study and apprenticeship schemes. This is a way for the company to anticipate possible losses of expertise due to retirements. It's also the best way to support younger employees in acquiring on-the-job skills. The gender mix is essential, as is the junior/senior mix.
For Altifort, industry isn't just for men, as demonstrated by the portrait of Isabelle Auneau, Quality Manager at Tobler, an Altifort Group company and global specialist in high-precision, high-quality part gripping systems (mandrels and front-end feeders), based in Louvres in the Val-d'Oise.
Isabelle Auneau has always had a weakness for building sets!
She naturally opted for a scientific education. After passing her baccalauréat, in 1988 she entered the BTS Assistance Technique d'Ingénieure program at the Lycée Jacquard in Paris, which was already opening the way for women to enter the world of industry.
In 1989, she became a "préparateur-méthode" at PSA Peugeot Citroën's Aulnay-sous-Bois site, and also the first woman in her department.
She stayed with the group for 7 years, carrying out a variety of tasks, before joining Tobler in 1996 as a buyer. Her extensive knowledge of the sector and of all business issues led her to become the company's Quality Manager in 2000, a position she still holds today.
For Isabelle, who built her career in the industrial sector, the place of women has evolved, but the number of women still remains too marginal in certain professions.
Learn more: www.altifort.com
