The MRI delegation visited Hefaïs

Based in Cherbourg, the Hefaïs school trains future welders, with a particular focus on the shipbuilding and nuclear industries. Created in 2021 under the impetus of four major industrial groups with emblematic sites in the Cotentin region (EDF, Naval Group, Orano and Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie), the school aims to respond to a growing shortage of qualified welders, a major challenge for nuclear facilities. More than 1,500 new welders are expected to join the nuclear industry by 2033. The school has also inaugurated an area dedicated to ‘promoting metal trades in the shipbuilding and nuclear industries’.

Figure 1: Promoting metal trades on the Hefaïs premise

Hefaïs trainees work on life-size industrial models, faithfully reproducing the environment of nuclear or naval installations. These mock-ups are at the heart of the programme, enabling students to learn to weld under conditions that are close to the real thing.

The course, which welcomes trainees from all backgrounds, combines cutting-edge technical skills with demanding interpersonal skills. Corentin Lelièvre, former director of the school, emphasised the importance of regular attendance, punctuality and rigour in guaranteeing safety and quality in the nuclear industry. Hefaïs aims to train 200 welders a year.

Figure 2: Meeting of the MRI delegation in Hefaïs with the CSFN

On 29 January 2025, the CSFN accompanied a delegation from the Mitsubishi Research Institute, a Japanese think-tank studying different approaches to skills, applied to the Japanese nuclear industry. The delegation visited the Hefaïs premises to find out more about this unique school model in France, based on a strong public/private partnership.