Nurses, pediatric nurses, paramedics, radiographers: in Agen, the Institute for Training Health Professionals continues to grow.

Healthcare training is booming. And the Agen institute, located adjacent to the Agen Nérac hospital, has caught the wave. In five years, it has grown considerably, opening up to new courses.

"Yes, I'm a happy director." Catherine Chazottes can smile. This school year, she has seen new students arrive, with diverse backgrounds and ambitions, at the Institute for Training Health Professionals (IFPS), which she has directed since 2014.

Jennifer and Marie were nursing assistants at La Candélie psychiatric hospital. On paper, they still are. "But we decided to become nurses to advance our careers." A winning bet for the young women and for the departmental hospital. With the support of the Region. "Without funding for our training, we wouldn't be able to progress." In exchange, these students are required to continue working at La Candélie.

Keeping young people in training in the region is one of Catherine Chazottes' challenges. Of course, Parcoursup doesn't make her task easy. "It's not a bad thing to be able to study wherever you want; it's even one of Parcoursup's principles," explains the director. But this can drive people from Lot-et-Garonne far from their homes. And attract young people from further afield who dream of nothing more than returning home.

Only nursing assistant training courses have very local recruitment. "To avoid competition between the three schools in the area, Agen, Villeneuve, and Marmande, we have staggered intakes," she explains.

That said, the training institute is gaining in reputation. “I targeted all the schools around Toulouse – where I come from – those in Limoges, and those in Bordeaux,” says Célie. She was accepted in Bordeaux and Agen, where she ultimately chose to spend the next three years. “It’s halfway between the two, it’s convenient. But above all, I received very good feedback on the training here.”

Catherine Chazottes can keep smiling. Her school's reputation is one thing. But above all, she works to make the region more attractive. For childcare nurses, for example. This project was born from a meeting with David Mourgues, head of the Lot-et-Garonne Territorial Mental Health Project, and child psychiatrist Louis Tandonnet, always to meet specific needs. Fourteen people are currently taking this training, thanks, like many others within the Institute, to funding from the Region.

Moreover, Marie, a nursing assistant at the La Candélie departmental hospital, who is currently training to be a nurse, hasn't ruled out joining this field. "Working with children in psychiatry is a real challenge. And, once again, it allows you to advance your career."

The proposal for training radiographers follows the same intuition. The IFPS is welcoming its first class this fall. "The needs of the region are urgent, and we had the keys, between hospitals and clinics, to train young people eager to embark on this path," explains Catherine Chazottes. Each training course offered comes from requests from the region. The same is true for paramedics, who join the IFPS on a work-study basis. Here again, the demand comes from companies in the sector.

This work has been ongoing since he took over as head of the Institute. "Today, 56% of my students come from Lot-et-Garonne." As for radio technicians, of the 20 positions available, three students are from the department.

It is for these same reasons that two years ago, the Maison familiale et rurale de Barbaste hosted, under the auspices of the IFPS, a training program for nursing assistants. "It is crucial for this Albret region to have local training. Indeed, the needs are there, but young people have few means of mobility. This can lead them to give up these care professions that are essential to the population."

Two years away from retirement, she has no plans to stop the establishment's growth. She is now looking at pharmacist training. "Always on a work-study basis. With their expanding skills, the need is significant." And still nurses, her core business. "Here too, these professionals are gaining in skills. We are awaiting the decrees for the implementation of the law of June 27th regarding these new responsibilities."

All while keeping an eye on the health of its students. "We have a teleconsultation terminal, we set up health and disability advisors to give students the means to complete their studies."