May 26, 2020
Profile of Mouzakirr, an apprentice underground electrical installer, and Fabien, the foreman and his mentor
What are your career backgrounds, and how did you end up at Equans France?
Mouzakirr: “I arrived in France five years ago. I learned the language, got my driver’s license, and earned a CAP in electrical work before joining the GEIQ training program a year ago to become an above- and below-ground electrical installer.”
Fabien: “I joined Bouygues Energies & Services when I was 18 to complete my apprenticeship in electrical engineering. I worked on overhead power lines—which I prefer—and underground lines. I became a team leader in January 2026.”
Mouzakirr, can you tell us more about the training program for underground electrical installers?
“It’s a vocational training program, offered on a work-study basis, carried out in partnership with GEIQ and AFPA. Over the course of a year and a half, we learn how to install and maintain electrical networks. Once we graduate, we have the opportunity to join the company. ”
Fabien, what did you get out of this tutoring experience?
“This is a very enriching training program, both for the apprentices and the mentors. It allows us to revisit the basics and break out of our routines. Personally, I like taking the time to pass on my knowledge. It’s important for the future of our trades.”
What do you like most about your job?
Mouzakirr: “It’s a very well-rounded profession with a wide range of technical skills. Of course, I also really enjoy working at heights and outdoors. We work at a different site every day, and we have to adapt to each one.”
Fabien: “Working at heights. I climbed for eight years when I was younger. I also enjoy thinking about the placement of pulleys, the angle of the lines, and the location of the poles. It’s a profession that’s essential to the development of connected, sustainable communities where people can thrive.”
Mouzakirr, what would you say to someone who’s hesitant to take the plunge?
“I’d tell him to go for it, to give it a try. If he likes working outdoors, construction equipment, and power lines—and if he isn’t afraid of heights. It’s a meaningful job—when we respond to a weather-related disaster, we help households get their electricity back so they can have light, heat, and so on.”
Any final thoughts?
Fabien: “One day, we were working on a construction site on a Sunday morning. Even though he wasn’t on the job that day, Mouzakirr invited the whole team to have lunch at his house after we finished, along with our families. We help each other out every day, even in our personal lives.”
