Introduced by the cities of Montpellier and Grabels, in the adjacent districts of Hauts de Massane in Montpellier and Valsière in Grabels, the Zero Long-Term Unemployment Territory (TZCLD) initiative did not take long to gain momentum.
Tasked with finding stable, long-term employment suited to the skills of residents who have been unemployed for over a year in these two adjacent neighborhoods, the Local Employment Committee (CLE), which oversees the initiative, held its eighth meeting on March 12 at the town hall in Grabels.
This was an opportunity to evaluate the initial actions taken. For example, since Hauts Val & Co, the first Employment-Focused Enterprise, was officially launched in November 2023, a concierge service for residents and a bicycle repair shop have also opened to address unmet needs in these two districts. A socially responsible grocery store will soon open along Avenue du Comté-de-Nice, while a lakeside café will open on the banks of the Lac des Garrigues lake.
The TZCLD initiative's five-year goal is to create 200 direct jobs and support another 200 through new activities in Employment-Focused Enterprises that are non-competitive with each other, but complementary to those already existing in Hauts de Massane and La Valsière.
Barely off the ground, the TZCLD Montpellier Grabels program is already shifting into high gear. At this point, 25 people have already been hired on permanent contracts with flexible hours; 67 volunteers are on the waiting list (50 women and 17 men); and 49 volunteers have already been recommended, as noted during the eighth CLE meeting.
Clémentine Hodeau, General Manager of the Territorial Experimentation Fund Against Long-Term Unemployment (ETCLD), who was present at the meeting, highlighted that three-quarters of the 85 Employment-Focused Enterprises operating in France had “achieved a positive operating result in 2023”. In addition, they collectively employ more than 4,000 people on permanent contracts, which means that this many people have found stable employment with flexible working hours thanks to these initiatives. Results of the Zero Long-Term Unemployment experiment
These results are the fruit of collaborative efforts, such as those of Montpellier's TZCLD program in Grabels. The program brings together institutions, socio-economic players, associations, and volunteers who are committed to the approach. Mustapha Laoukiri, co-chair of the Local Employment Committee and deputy mayor of Montpellier in charge of employment, praised “Altémed's mobilization in providing the social enterprises with the premises they need to achieve their ambitions.”
Private companies are also getting involved: Klésia has donated offices, chairs, and computer screens to the social companies, and SCOP 3 has donated furniture. The La Poule Rousse endowment fund donated 30,000 € for purchasing vehicles.
To further boost mobilization, the TZCLD Montpellier Grabels program now has a newsletter on LinkedIn, which already has 3,300 subscribers after its first issue! In addition, the Local Employment Committee is participating in the annual edition of the Laboratoire des Travaux Utiles (Laboratory for Useful Projects) from May 12 to 16. The committee plans to set up an economic forum to engage more businesses and develop new partnerships.
“Another useful initiative is a volunteers' café event held twice a month to build group momentum. A place for mutual support and solidarity, the café is looking for mentors,” says Jean-Loup Riche, co-chair of the committee and a municipal councilor for Grabels.
There is no doubt that the momentum is building. Members demonstrated this once again at the eighth Local Employment Committee meeting, organizing three workshops on the following topics: how to support volunteers from outside the social enterprises; how to make it easier for economic players to identify social enterprises; and how to prepare volunteers for future employment with social enterprises. This joint effort resulted in a large number of proposals that will be implemented promptly.
“You are giving hope back to an entire area and its residents,” said Mustapha Laoukiri.
Photos ©Jeremy Aliot
