The aeronautics industry, a sector of excellence in France, offers many career opportunities. But to get there, you need to choose the right career path. Baccalauréat Pro or BTS Aeronautics, apprenticeship or academic route... how do you choose the right path to join a sector as strategic as aeronautics?
At AEROCAMPUS in Bordeaux, a campus specialising in aeronautical training, we welcome hundreds of young people every year to prepare them for careers in maintenance, production or aeronautical design. Our partnership with the CFAI in Bruges for apprentices and with the Lycéen Flora Tristan in Camblanes for schoolchildren means that we can support both profiles and keep in touch with manufacturers and the needs of the sector.
Thanks to this expertise, we are going to answer this thorny and oh so fundamental question.
An industry with a future... but a choice of career path that needs to be carefully thought through
The aeronautical sector, with its many outlets in maintenance, production and on-board systems, recruits thousands of young graduates every year. According to GIFAS (Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales), by 2023 more than 12,000 jobs will have been filled in the industry in France. Airbus, Dassault, Safran, Sabena Technics are just some of the names that regularly hire specialised Bac Pro and BTS graduates.
But how do you get in? There are two main routes open to students from the end of 3e or after a Bac: the academic route (at a vocational or technological lycée) and the apprenticeship route (on a sandwich course). Both are recognised, but their advantages, requirements and prospects vary considerably.
Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.The Bac Pro Aéronautique on the school-based route takes place over three years (seconde, première, terminale). Students follow a course at a vocational school or centre such as AEROCAMPUS, with 22 weeks of compulsory work placements. Teaching alternates between general courses (maths, physics, French) and vocational courses (blueprint reading, maintenance, regulations, aircraft systems, etc.).
The Aeronautics Bac Pro apprenticeship, available from the age of 15-16, offers a sandwich course between training centre and company (often 1 week/1 week or 3 weeks/3 weeks). Apprentices are salaried, paid between 27% and 78% of the minimum wage depending on their age and year of study.
The Aeronautics BTS on the academic route is accessible after a Bac Pro, a Bac STI2D or a general Bac with a science speciality. In two years, it provides training in maintenance management, quality control, digital tools, European Part 66 regulations...
Students complete a 6 to 8 week work placement with a company. At AEROCAMPUS, apprentices can stay on site and have access to catering.
As an apprenticeship, the Aeronautics BTS makes perfect sense for those wishing to enter the job market quickly. The course alternates between classes at AEROCAMPUS (or partner CFA) and in-company assignments. Apprentices are hired on a 24-month contract.
The question "Should you choose apprenticeship or the academic route to succeed in aeronautics? has no single answer. It depends above all:
On the student's profile: autonomy, maturity, ability to manage pressure and timetable
On their career plan: further study or rapid integration
On their network and access to a host company
What emerges from our experience with AEROCAMPUS students:
If you are looking for a stable, more academic framework, to progress at your own pace, with well-supervised placements, the academic route is reassuring and effective.
If you're ready to move quickly into the world of work, to learn by doing, to manage a real pro life, the apprenticeship is a royal road.
In Bac Pro, the school route remains a good launching pad for young people in 3e who need a structured framework.
In BTS, apprenticeship is often a decisive asset for direct employment.
In all cases, the important thing is to be well supported. That's why establishments like AEROCAMPUS play a key role, offering both formats and guiding young people towards the right choice, according to their profile, desires and ambitions.
