Since May 2025, the employment-focused company Oxalys, located in Dissay and Jaunay-Marigny in the Vienne, has been welcoming individuals who have been out of work for extended periods. Its creation, the result of several years of collective mobilization, aims to develop activities beneficial to the territory based on the skills and desires of the residents.
Supported by Grand Poitiers, the municipalities of Dissay and Jaunay-Marigny, and the associations CAPÉE and APPUI, the project is part of the national 'Territoires zéro chômeur de longue durée (TZCLD)' experiment. 'Activity laboratories' helped identify local needs and the skills of future employees, leading to the selection of about twenty activities, particularly in laundry, ironing, repair, and reuse.
The local employment committee (CLE), chaired by the two mayors, played a central role by bringing together elected officials, economic actors, and residents to validate the projects. After an initial opening planned for October 2024 was postponed, Oxalys finally hired its first twenty-five employees in May 2025.
Today, Oxalys operates workshops in Jaunay-Marigny and a shop in Dissay. Collected items are sorted, repaired, or transformed in the workshops (wood, appliances, textiles, sewing, upholstery, laundry, cleaning), thus valuing the work of the employees and the items themselves. The shop handles sales, and the quality of products offered contributes to recognizing acquired skills.
The company currently employs four managers and around forty staff members, with approximately 40% being beneficiaries of the employment obligation for disabled workers. Identifying candidates required coordination with France Travail, Cap emploi, and CCAS, as well as fieldwork to reconnect with individuals who may have become disengaged from support services.
The permanent employment contracts (CDI) provide stability for employees while establishing professional rules. Loïc Arnaud, the director, aims to foster autonomy and initiative, while supporting individual career paths, as some employees may move on to other jobs later. Training, focused on safety, sewing, sales, and composting, is also a significant component.
The major challenge for Oxalys is now strengthening its management team. The current team believes two to three additional positions are needed to handle the complexity of situations and stabilize the work environment. The goal is to hire nearly 90 people to meet identified needs in the area, subject to available funding.
