One hundred and five apprentices from the Alpes-Maritimes were recognized during the 2025 session of the “One of the Best Apprentices in France” competition. Six of them received a national gold medal. A ceremony was held at the Sardinian Palace in the presence of the President of the Department to honor youth, skills, and the passing on of knowledge.
Last week, at the Sardinian Palace in Nice, the Alpes-Maritimes department celebrated the laureates from the “One of the Best Apprentices in France” competition. One hundred and five young people were awarded at the departmental level. Among them, six earned the national gold medal. The event, organized alongside Jean-Pierre Casu, the head of the MAF competition in the department, and Philippe Joannès, deputy president of the Society of the Best Craftsmen of France, honored the “Gilberte Garcia” promotion, named after a distinguished Best Craftsman of France in hairstyling in 1976.
Established in 1985 by Paul Labourier, Best Craftsman of France, the MAF competition highlights apprentices from vocational high schools and training centers. Each year, it distinguishes young people under 21 (or 23 depending on the profession), engaged in various disciplines: jewelry, carpentry, cooking, or table arts. The evaluation is conducted on three levels – departmental, regional, and national – and is based on the quality of execution, rigor, and creativity.
In the Alpes-Maritimes, 61 apprentices received the gold medal, 22 the silver medal, and 22 the bronze medal. Six young people brilliantly passed the national stage: Gabriel Bain (car body painting), Cassandra Barret (teaching signage trades), Carla Das Dores (aesthetics, cosmetics, perfumery), Manon Mace (dental prosthetics), Hejar Olgun (signage trades), and Eude Stenger (car body painting).
Supporting Young People and the Passing on of Skills
For several years, the department has partnered with the Society of the Best Craftsmen of France to encourage vocational training. This partnership is part of a policy to support youth and local craftsmanship. Each departmental laureate receives a bonus of 100 euros. The national gold medalists receive an additional grant of 200 euros.
For the president of the department, Charles Ange Ginésy, this ceremony goes beyond merely awarding prizes. It reflects a lasting commitment to manual trades and their apprentices. “At the Sardinian Palace, we did more than just award prizes. We affirmed a vision: that of a territory that does not compromise on excellence. By honoring our 105 young laureates from the best apprentices of France, we celebrate the vibrant force of our youth. Their choice of excellence, rigor, and skill intelligence is an act of resistance against ease. Their success is the brilliant proof that hard work, passion, and merit are the only currencies that matter. The Alpes-Maritimes Department is the bastion of this excellence. Our support for these young women and men is unwavering, total, and unshakeable. Today, they are our ambassadors, and tomorrow, they will be the guardians of the soul of French craftsmanship. We will always stand by those who uphold the values of transmission and the know-how of the Alpes-Maritimes. Congratulations to the 105 laureates, their apprenticeship mentors, and the competition organizers. And may this 41st edition of the Best Apprentices in France be a new rallying cry for the future!”
Beyond the awards, the real issue is one of transmission. Every young person trained in workshops and schools contributes to sustaining trades that are sometimes fragile but essential to the economic fabric of the territory. Thus, the MAF competition acts as a link between generations of artisans. It highlights skills acquired through experience, patience, and the willingness to learn.
