Train, support, and retain to strengthen industrial excellence.
An ambitious HR strategy to develop the skills essential to our performance.
In an industrial environment undergoing profound change, the Defontaine Group is relying on an ambitious HR strategy to preserve and develop the skills essential to its performance. Faced with a shortage of technical profiles and rapid changes in the professions, the company has chosen to invest heavily in internal training and personalized support for its employees. Two key initiatives stand out: integrated professional training programs and an innovative job retention mechanism known as “green missions”.
Interview with Céline Rigaud, HR Director of the Defontaine Group
How did the internal training program for high-demand occupations come about?
Céline Rigaud : We noticed that certain essential technical professions were no longer adequately covered by traditional training programs. Faced with the gradual disappearance of key skills and the difficulty of recruiting qualified candidates, we decided to develop our own internal training programs. Starting in 2022, we have developed job training programs that are fully tailored to our operational needs for six professions in high demand. The idea was to ensure that critical skills are passed on directly within our workshops.
How do these training programs differ from traditional approaches?
Céline Rigaud : These training courses have been designed to be fully immersive and scalable. Each course combines a theoretical component developed with Fab’Academy and practical training supervised by experienced in-house tutors. We wanted a dynamic program: as soon as a new machine is installed or feedback from the field highlights a change in our practices, the content is adjusted. This can lead to long training courses, sometimes lasting up to 18 months, which guarantee a lasting increase in skills. And for those who wish to go further, external certification via a CQPM is possible.
What is your goal with these investments in internal training?
Céline Rigaud : We seek to secure our expertise and anticipate changes in our business lines. By strengthening our internal training capabilities, we ensure the sustainability of our skills while offering employees solid and rewarding career paths. This is a strategic investment that is necessary to maintain our industrial excellence.
Can you explain the principle behind “green missions”?
Céline Rigaud : Green assignments are a measure designed to keep employees in work. They enable employees who are temporarily unable to perform their duties—due to an accident, health problem, or occupational illness—to be reassigned to a role that is compatible with their medical limitations. These assignments last up to three months and may involve administrative tasks, logistics, or cross-functional activities such as laboratory work, maintenance, or methods. The aim is to maintain the link with the company, avoid a break in employment and preserve the momentum of the business.
How is this system regulated?
Céline Rigaud : Everything is formalized and secure. The employee volunteers, the occupational physician approves the reassignment, a temporary amendment is drafted, and we coordinate between HR, managers, and the medical department. Compensation, including bonuses, is maintained in full. And if the person is unable to travel, we arrange for adapted transportation. It is a rigorous but deeply humane system.
What impact do these missions have on corporate culture?
Céline Rigaud : These assignments are now fully integrated into our management culture. Introduced in 2017, they have become second nature because they are based on trust, kindness, and personalization. We have even observed that these green missions sometimes inspire vocations that can lead to a lasting reorientation of the employee towards a new profession. When this corresponds to the needs of the company, we support them in this transition through an internal training program.
How do these initiatives illustrate the group’s HR vision?
Céline Rigaud : They reflect our belief that HR innovation is a strategic lever for supporting our industrial performance. By training our employees, maintaining their employability, and valuing their career paths, we strengthen our production capacity, our attractiveness, and our collective commitment. People are at the heart of our industrial excellence.
20 February 2026