France: banking sector enhances its jobs and skills management plan (GPEC)

On 27 May, the banking sector employers body, the AFB*, signed a new ‘jobs and skills forward management planning’ agreement (GPEC-la gestion prévisionnelle de l’emploi et des compétences), with four trade unions bodies (CFDT, SNB/CFE-CGC, CFTC, and FO). In order to best manage ‘the unprecedented structural change due to the emergence of digital technologies, new constraints and regulations imposed by regulators, and changing consumption patterns’ by guaranteeing access to the necessary skills, the agreement’s signatories agreed to strengthen the workforce planning approach at sector level. The missions of the Banking Professions Joint Observatory, created in 2005, haven been redefined so that it can be used more to equip companies and the social partners on the issue of changing professions and skills, as well as being more involved in drawing up the skills and business benchmarks necessary for formulating diplomas and certifications. To this end, it should be able to carry out surveys and forecast studies ‘in order to identify medium and long-term trends and prospects for employment, training and career paths within the banking sector.’ It will also work to ‘put forward a banking professions identification map as a way of supporting companies. Finally, the agreement provides for the social partners to promptly set up ‘a joint working group on the employment inclusion and maintenance and careers development for people with living with disabilities or chronic illnesses, or facing employment integration difficulties.” * Association Française des Banques (AFB) acts as a representative employers’ association for commercial banks and is also a member of the new Fédération Française des Banques (FBF) liaising with the various categories of banks gathering opinions as preparation for the FBF’s Executive Committee decision-making.