Because it is more difficult for young people to move

The orientation is a vibrant market and, no doubt, full of the future. As the anguish the students and their parents when they must identify in the jungle of the years undergraduate. After the explosion of the market of school support, the orientation is growing on the same basis. Besides a public and free offer some 5,000 "orientation-psychologists counsellors", or the network of the CIDJ (1) therefore, develops a few years, the lucrative business of orientation.

"The growth of this market is a true societal trend," said Gérard Roudaut, Director General of the House of orientation. "Because it is more difficult for young people to move." Result, the concern is enormous in a context of increased competition.

Pupils and parents more responses all wary and are now demanding tailor-made. "There are more route ready-to-wear." Things are changing very rapidly, and Gérard Roudaut. In addition, parents realize that a bad choice has far-reaching consequences, in financial terms. "It works therefore more in soon to reflect on the ideal route and avoid to engage in the bad sector. Sign of this tendency to want to anticipate the most: College students are more and more specialized fairs.

Forums on the Internet

If some independent actors advice, coaches or psychologists take advantage of the bargain and investing sector, market orientation remains highly concentrated and dominated by two major groups that combine press, publishing and events.

The student group is historical actor. It has a turnover of EUR 40 million, of which almost half (45) corresponds to the Organization of trade fairs, the rest is divided between the press and publishing. "Activity shows, publishing and the press in difficult markets, grows even more in recent years", said Gilbert Azoulay, Director of the development of the student group. Thirty organized fairs in 2005 made the full: nearly 2 million visitors, a record.

His challenger, Studyrama (15 million euros of turnover), multiplied by two in four years, relied on free and advertising first by the free press destination of students, and then on the Internet. Today is the second organizer of orientation fairs, Group owes much of its success to the fact that he has known, faster than others, turn Internet. Site hosted in January more than 1.5 million visitors.

"We have online orientation tools, explains Jean-Cyrille Boutmy, President and founder of Studyrama." The student enters a number of information about what he likes or activities in which he feels comfortable, and we provide him one of the six major areas to which it can move. "The site also hosts forums that allow students to share their experiences, with sometimes the intervention of specialists to answer their questions.

Coaching by phone

To meet this competition, the student tries to grow its difference and defends its almost institutional role. "We do publish any raw information without perspective", says Olivier Rollot, Director of the writing. The Group has also diversified its offering: solutions of coaching by phone, launch of a collection of books for parents, new targets for this market. The Group also began organizing conferences, and pay guides on the Internet.

Studyrama, for its part, is to rely on the development of the DIF (individual right to training) to establish a specific destination for employees offer. Market orientation is still beautiful days before him.