- Saint-Laurent-de-Chamousset
- October 15, 2025
As part of the 2025 Erasmus Days, annual communication events for the Erasmus program held across Europe, the Euro App Mobility association brought together around fifty economic, institutional, and educational stakeholders from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region at the MFR of Saint-Laurent-de-Chamousset. The event combined a meeting of the Employers’ Club for a European Apprenticeship Area and the presentation of the Mobility Stars Awards.
Established in 2020 at the initiative of Jean Arthuis, EAM works to remove barriers to long-term apprentice mobility and support training institutions in developing the Erasmus for Apprenticeship program. The Employers’ Club for a European Apprenticeship Area, launched in 2024, aims to convince companies of the benefits of mobility, both for themselves and for the apprentices they employ. To achieve this goal, the Club connects employers across regions who wish to offer their learners a mobility experience. This event, organized for the first time in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, is designed to facilitate exchanges and highlight experiences and best practices.
Mobility: “it's a win for everyone”
In his opening speech, Jean Arthuis presented the various advantages of mobility, stating that:
“International mobility is a win for learners because they acquire transversal skills, such as self-confidence. It’s a win for companies because they benefit from better-trained apprentices. It’s also a win for France, as for all European countries, because we gain in competitiveness. It’s a win for everyone.”
Jean-Christophe Scibberas emphasized the issue of access to mobility, highlighting that:
“Mobility should not be a privilege reserved for higher education students. Every learner should be able to experience this encounter with otherness, a source of openness, enrichment, and employability for all.”
Regional and National Stakeholders United in Favor of International Mobility
Renaud Raffier, Vice-President of U2P Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, believes that to “enter professional life, one must have experienced autonomy and discovery, outside the comfort zone in which one grew up and studied.” For him, “international mobility offers this opportunity to young people and transforms them permanently.”
This view is shared by Denis Bouchut, representative of the Rhône Chamber of Agriculture and a farmer trained at the MFR of Saint-Laurent. He shared his personal testimony after experiencing international mobility in Canada before obtaining his BTS (Higher Technician Certificate). For him, what a young person gains from such an experience has “invaluable worth in terms of self-confidence and skills useful for a farmer looking to establish themselves.”
Also convinced of this, Stéphane Duc, Chairman of the Management Board of Huttopia, chose to use international mobility as a means to strengthen his teams. In his view, international mobility enhances apprenticeship and attracts young talent to the tourism company he manages. As a partner of the MFR of St-Laurent-de-Chamousset, and as an employer of apprentices, he advocates for international mobility during the training program. His company works in close liaison with the CFA (Apprentice Training Center) to propose destinations and define educational projects.
“OPCOs,” reminds Jack Aubert, Deputy General Director of AFDAS, “are tasked with supporting CFAs, while also providing funding, complementary to Erasmus+ grants, to enable young people to cover their living expenses.” Highly committed to supporting international mobility for apprentices in the tourism, sports, and culture sectors, the national management of AFDAS made the trip to St-Laurent-de-Chamousset to demonstrate their support for apprentice mobility and highlight its benefits for businesses.
Towards a Future Where Apprentice Mobility Becomes the Norm
Romane Favier, a learner from the MFR of Saint-Laurent-de-Chamousset, shared her experience in Portugal:
“You gain self-confidence, you learn to speak with other people in a completely different environment,” she said, “and working at the reception allowed me to improve my English.”
To conclude, Jean Arthuis shared his vision for the future of apprentice mobility:
“Ideally, at the time of signing the apprenticeship contract, mobility would already be included in the program.”
Presentation of the “Mobility Stars” Award – 3rd Edition
At the close of the event, the jury president, Anne Vitrey, presented the Mobility Stars Challenge awards. Three categories were recognized, bringing together mentors, apprentices, and apprenticeship masters, for videos they created to promote Erasmus and share their experiences of European mobility in apprenticeship.
Organized for the third consecutive year, this Euro App Mobility initiative, in partnership with the Erasmus+ France Education agency, highlights the inspiring journeys of young people who have undertaken mobility and the stakeholders who support them. The MFR of Saint-Laurent-de-Chamousset, winner of the previous edition through its mobility coordinator Alexandra DEJA and a BTS Tourism apprentice, Evan PALLU, hosted this year’s awards ceremony.
Winner of the “Commitment Award,” Stéphanie Miggiano from Polytech Orléans spoke about her field experience:
“Administrative procedures, always complicated, can sometimes be discouraging, but when apprentices return more confident, autonomous, and open to the world, the full value of these experiences is truly appreciated.”
The 2025 award winners illustrate the diversity of career paths and professions involved, confirming the importance of mobility as an experience for training, openness, and skill development.
Through this event, EAM and its partners continue their commitment to building a true European apprenticeship area, where young people trained through mobility become recognized professionals open to the world.
- Saint-Laurent-de-Chamousset
- October 15, 2025
