The Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region launched an unprecedented aid program in 2024 to attract new residents to areas facing demographic decline. Featuring welcome agents and immersive stays, it particularly benefits Creusot, where companies struggle to recruit. The story of Davide and Emilie Saraiva highlights its effectiveness.
In 2024, the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, affected by demographic decline, started an installation aid program through the Venez vivre en Bourgogne-Franche-Comté website. It offers immersive stays to explore areas, local contacts, and ongoing personalized support, a first at the regional level.
In Creusot, where firms like the Industeel steelworks, a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, face recruitment challenges, this assistance is vital. Davide Saraiva, an industry quality controller living in Ariège, found the initiative in April 2025 while job hunting in the radioactivity sector. After submitting a form, he is reached by welcome agent Stéphane Rouget, who shares his CV and arranges an interview.
One month later, Davide signs an indefinite-term contract (CDI) and, with his wife Emilie, views a village house identified by Mr. Rouget. They meet the mayor of the nearby town, seven minutes from the factory. Mr. Rouget also handles enrolling their two daughters in school past the deadline. “They served everything to us on a platter,” summarizes Davide Saraiva.
Emilie, a former hairdresser, begins retraining as a specialized educator for children with disabilities. Via Mr. Rouget’s network, she secures a placement in a facility, followed by substitute roles and prospects for qualification and a CDI. “We feel like it’s a fresh start. Without a welcome agent’s support, we might not have managed this life change,” she says. “We never feel lost; if there’s an issue, it’s ‘hello! Stéphane.’ ”
This program shows efforts to revive industrial areas by drawing families with practical guidance.