Summer promises to be hot according to meteorologists, swimming pools will probably be a refuge of choice for people in pain. However, a cloud threatens the opening of the bathing places, there may not be enough lifeguards and bathing supervisors to allow the optimal functioning of the places.
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Thirty people to recruit
Rodolphe Boussin, director of operations of the Odyssée, in Chartres estimates that six or seven staff are missing for the summer season. At the community of communes Terres de Perche, Estelle Duez, deputy director general, describes the situation as “very very complicated with a lifeguard to replace during her maternity leave”.
Xavier Logette, director of operations for the company Equalia, which manages the swimming pools of Cloyes-les-three-Rivières and that of the leisure park of Brou, is looking to hire three CDIs and several summer reinforcements.Swimming pool L’Õbraysie – St-Jean-de-Braye – Lifeguard MNS
The director of human resources of the agglomeration community of the territories of Rambouillet, Valérie Rocher, confides “to be in military working order since March”.
Recruitment following the reopening of the Fontaines aquatic center had already been “tense”. The HRD claims to have received ten times fewer applications for lifeguard and lifeguard positions than the previous year.
The swimming pool of Nogent-le-Roi closes its doors under the sun
The malaise is not limited to Eure-et-Loir, according to Benoît Gasnier, sports activities advisor at the departmental service for youth, commitment and sports, a national education service. According to his calculations, about thirty people would be missing to ensure optimal operation.
Why such a lack?
“The shortage is linked to the change in professions that has occurred with the Covid”, analyzes Valérie Rocher. “20-35 year olds want to work when and how they want,” she continues.
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According to Benoît Gasnier, the proliferation, in recent years, of aquatic centers, which are larger and require more employees (Chartres, Bonneval, Saint-Rémy-sur-Arve, Auneau, Cloyes-les-trois-Rivières and Vernouillet soon) contributes to this growing need for lifeguards and lifeguards.
“We have never had such great equipment except that the needs are more and more important and the baby-boom generation is retiring,” he recalls.
These retirements are not compensated by the newly trained. “We need twice as many graduates”. And even if the figures went up, all the Eurelian holders of the necessary diplomas do not spend the season in the department.
Reduced time slots and activities
At the Odyssey, the shortage should not impact the activity, but the employees will be called upon: “We will put in place overtime to avoid closures, we are counting on the will of young people. »
However, Rodolphe Boussin, the director of operations says “walking on eggshells” and does not reject the hypothesis of “closures of outdoor or indoor pools depending on the weather”
The swimming pools of Châteaudun, Marboué and Brou will open this Saturday, June 18
Estelle Duez has already announced that she favors a reduction in hours rather than a closure at certain times of the summer. “Our three aquagym courses are full in terms of enrolments, but we are going to cancel one this summer because with one less lifeguard, it is not possible. “.
The opening of the swimming pool at the Brou leisure park was scheduled for May 30, but has been constantly postponed due to lack of staff.
Because even if candidates for lifeguard positions offered, they cannot supervise these activities, they must be accompanied by a lifeguard.
Aurélie Chupin
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