Is Pau actually in Occitanie?

No, Pau is in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. It sits close to the regional border with Occitanie (Hautes-Pyrénées). The Skool n Job event format extends across this region because the southwestern French youth employment ecosystem operates closely with neighbouring departments. Practical impact: most exhibitors are local Béarn and Pyrénées-Atlantiques employers, plus some regional and national players.

What sectors recruit hardest at Skool n Job Pau?

Aerospace and energy subcontractors recruit consistently for alternance — these sectors have known shortages in maintenance, electrotechnical, and CAO/CFAO profiles. Hospitality (especially Pyrenees ski season alternance and seasonal contracts) hits hard in autumn editions. Healthcare and EHPADs recruit year-round. Banking, insurance, and the public sector tend to have steadier offers but slower hiring loops. Retail is always present but rarely the most rewarding stop for technical-track candidates.

Do I need a Mission Locale référent to attend?

No, the event is open to anyone under 30 (and in practice to older walk-ins too). However, having a Mission Locale référent helps in two ways: they sometimes secure prioritised slots for sector workshops, and they can debrief with you afterwards to convert leads into actual contracts. If you don't have a référent yet and you're under 26 and looking for work or training in the Béarn, Mission Locale Pau-Pyrénées is worth registering with — services are free.

Can I attend if I'm a foreign student in France?

Yes. Foreign students with valid residence permits and work authorisation can attend and apply. For alternance contracts, employers will check that your residence permit allows the contract type you're targeting (apprenticeship vs. professionalisation rules differ slightly). Bring a CV in French, your titre de séjour, and a clear pitch about how many hours per week you're authorised to work if you're on a student visa. International student services at the UPPA can advise before the fair.

Is Skool n Job related to skool.com?

No. Different things, same four letters. Skool n Job is a French regional youth employment fair. Skool.com is an American software platform for online creator communities. Our company tools4skool builds an extension for skool.com creators — also unrelated to the Pau fair. The naming collision is unfortunate; the search confusion is why this page disambiguates clearly.

Skool n Job Pau: Pyrénées-Atlantiques Youth Employment Fair

On this page

TL;DR
What this edition covers
Who exhibits in Pau
Venue and getting there
How to prepare
Not skool.com
FAQ

TL;DR

Skool n Job Pau is the Béarn edition of the regional youth employment forum that runs across Occitanie and neighbouring departments. Free, walk-in, aimed at under-30 jobseekers — students hunting alternance, recent graduates, Mission Locale-tracked young people. Pau's economy gives this edition a distinct flavour: aerospace and energy services (Total/TotalEnergies' historical Pau footprint, Safran subcontractors), hospitality and tourism (Pyrenees ski resorts seasonal work, Pau city tourism), healthcare (CHU de Pau and surrounding clinics), and public sector (Communauté d'agglomération Pau Béarn Pyrénées, regional services). Dates shift annually; spring and autumn editions are the norm. This page is a city guide — if you wanted skool.com the SaaS, that's a separate thing.

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What the Pau edition covers

Pau is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the historical capital of Béarn. The local economy mixes high-skill technical employment (energy, aerospace, geosciences — Pau hosts a major TotalEnergies research centre and Safran-related subcontractors), services, and tourism tied to the Pyrenees and the city's heritage sites. Skool n Job Pau reflects this. You'll see more technical alternance stands than in Narbonne — BTS Maintenance, BTS Electrotechnique, DUT GEII, and engineering school alternance programs (UPPA, ESTIA Bidart partnerships). Hospitality is also strong because of the Pyrenees ski season and Pau's conference economy. Healthcare and public-sector recruitment is steady year-round. The Pau edition also tends to have a slightly older youth audience because of the engineering school presence — alternance Bac+3 to Bac+5 is well-represented.

Who exhibits in Pau

Employers: aerospace and energy subcontractors, large retail (Carrefour, Leclerc, the Géant zone), hospitality groups, healthcare (CHU de Pau, polycliniques, EHPADs), public services (mairie, agglomération, CAF, gendarmerie), and a strong banking and insurance presence (Crédit Agricole Pyrénées Gascogne is headquartered in Pau). Training centres: CFA des Métiers de l'Industrie, Lycée Saint-Cricq, Lycée Honoré Baradat, the UPPA (Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour) for higher-education alternance, ESTIA in Bidart for engineering. Public partners: Mission Locale Pau-Pyrénées, France Travail, Garantie Jeunes, civic service info, CIO, and APEC for cadres-débutants slots. Selective service and gendarmerie recruitment usually have visible stands too.

Venue and getting there

Past editions have used the Parc des Expositions de Pau (boulevard du Cami Salié), the Palais Beaumont for smaller editions, and occasional use of the Zénith de Pau complex when scale demands it. Public transport: the Idelis bus network covers all three. Parking is generous at the Parc des Expos and the Zénith, tighter at Palais Beaumont. Pau's SNCF station is central; from there the bus or a 20-minute walk gets you to most venue options. Plan 3 hours if you're targeting alternance — the technical employer stands take longer because conversations are more substantial than seasonal recruitment. Confirm date and venue via Mission Locale Pau-Pyrénées or the Communauté d'agglomération's youth services page closer to the event.

How to prepare for it

Print 15+ CVs and version them by sector — one for technical/aerospace, one for hospitality, one for services. Pau employers in aerospace and energy tend to ask sharper technical questions than retail employers, so prepare specific examples: a project, a stage report, a tool you actually used. If you're targeting alternance Bac+2 or above, bring a printed list of your dossier de candidature contents (relevés de notes, lettre de motivation drafts) — some employers will pre-screen on the spot if you're well-prepared. Permis B matters for the energy-sector subcontractors with sites outside Pau city centre (Lacq, Mourenx). Practice your pitch in French; Pau employers are firmly francophone, with English a plus rather than a default. Note who you spoke to so you can follow up by email within 48 hours — that single follow-up email separates serious candidates from the rest.

Not the same as skool.com

Same disambiguation we put on every Skool n Job page. Skool.com is an American SaaS platform — paid online communities and courses, used by digital creators and coaches. tools4skool is our Chrome extension and dashboard for skool.com creators. None of that has anything to do with the Béarn employment fair. If you ended up here looking for community software, the skool.com glossary is where to go. If you wanted Pau's youth employment fair, you're in the right place — ignore everything about online communities.

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Frequently asked

Dates rotate annually. Spring (March–May) and autumn (October–November) editions are the most common, aligned with alternance recruitment cycles. Mission Locale Pau-Pyrénées and the agglomération's communication channels announce the next edition typically 4–8 weeks ahead. The Région's me-former-en-region.fr portal also lists upcoming youth employment events across the area.