Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (S.T.A)

What Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (S.T.A) does

Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (S.T.A) is a French industrial vocational training center headquartered in Cournon d'Auvergne, France, operating as the dedicated training division of Groupe TRA-C industrie. Founded in 1993, STA delivers more than 90 certified training programs across five domains: aeronautics, welding (TIG, MIG/MAG, arc electrode, oxyacetylene), boilermaking, industrial piping, and maintenance, including robotics operator training added as part of an Industry 4.0 curriculum extension. The core training infrastructure consists of modern workshops equipped with 22 individual welding booths designed for personalized hands-on instruction.

STA's business model is professional-services fee-for-service vocational training, with revenue generated from enterprise contracts (companies sending employees for upskilling), individual trainees funded through France's CPF personal training accounts, job seekers financed by France Travail, career transitioners supported by Transition Pro ARA, and disabled trainees funded through AGEFIPH. Certification preparation for CQPM (Certificat de Qualification Paritaire de la Métallurgie) and TPM (Titre Paritaire à finalité professionnelle) qualifications, administered by UIMM, is priced at €7,685 per program, with other courses priced on duration (5–20 day unit pricing for welding qualifications). Distribution is dual-channel: inter-enterprise training delivered at STA's Cournon d'Auvergne facility and intra-enterprise training delivered on client sites across France and internationally by a mobile trainer team.

STA serves approximately 458 trainees per year across an installed base of 1,500 industrial client companies, with documented outcome metrics including a 100% CQPM exam pass rate, 100% employment insertion rate, 95% trainee satisfaction, and a 0% dropout rate. The company holds QUALIOPI certification (obtained 2020), the mandatory French quality label required to access public training funding, and is staffed by trainers holding the highest international welding credentials (IWE, IWT, IWS, IWP) including a Meilleur Ouvrier de France laureate.

Name

Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (S.T.A)

Legal name

Soudage Technique d'Auvergne

Website

https://sta-form.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (S.T.A) is a French industrial vocational training center in Cournon d'Auvergne, delivering certified welding, boilermaking, piping, aeronautics, robotics, and maintenance training to enterprise employees, job seekers, and career transitioners across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Vocational Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

akta.pro primary industry

Arc Welding (SMAW/GMAW/FCAW/GTAW) Training (EDAOADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Boilermaking, Pressure Vessels & Tank Fabrication Training (EDAOADAN), Metal Cutting, Fit-Up & Layout (Oxy-Fuel/Plasma/Saw) Training (EDAOADAE), Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA) (EDAOADAG), Sheet Metal Fabrication & Light-Gauge Metalwork Training (EDAOADAD)

Keywords

• Welding training services
• Industrial vocational training
• Sheet metal fabrication training
• Industrial piping training
• Certified welding qualifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Cournon d'Auvergne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Vocational Training Fees (Continuing Education): STA generates revenue by providing fee-for-service vocational training to employees of industrial companies, job seekers funded by France Travail, and individuals in professional transition funded through CPF or Transition Pro. Training is delivered at STA workshops or on client sites, with professionalization contracts (alternance) where the employing company funds the training.
2. Certification and Qualification Fees: Revenue from certification examinations organized by UIMM, including CQPM (Certificat de Qualification Paritaire de la Métallurgie) and TPM (Titre Paritaire à finalité professionnelle) certifications. Specific pricing examples: CQPM at 7,685 euros per program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Soudage Technique d'Auvergne is an industrial vocational training center that delivers 90+ certified training programs in welding (TIG, MIG/MAG, arc electrode, oxyacetylene), boilermaking/sheet metal, industrial piping, aerospace fabrication, robotics, and maintenance. Training leads to industry-recognized qualifications (CQPM, TPM, ISO 9606) and is delivered both at STA's Cournon d'Auvergne training center (equipped with 22 individual welding booths) and on client company sites across France and internationally.

Product overview

Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (S.T.A) is an industrial trades training center offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocational training programs and certifications. The core offering centers on welding disciplines (TIG, MIG/MAG, arc with coated electrodes, oxyacetylene), complemented by sheet metal fabrication (chaudronnerie), industrial piping (tuyauterie), robotics automation, and maintenance training. The company delivers certified qualifications including CQPM (Certificat de Qualification Paritaire de la Métallurgie) programs for industrial welder, aerospace sheet metal worker, assembly worker, and pipefitter, as well as TPM (Titre Paritaire à finalité professionnelle) certifications. Training delivery includes initiation, specialization, and qualification levels across five domains: Aeronautics, Welding, Sheet Metal, Piping, and Maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TPM Soudeur Industriel Titre Paritaire à finalité professionnelle (TPM) certification program for industrial welders covering preparation, execution, quality control, and maintenance of welding operations; for industrial companies and individual trainees seeking TPM certification administered by UIMM.
• CQPM Chaudronnier Aéronautique CQPM (Certificat de Qualification Paritaire de la Métallurgie) certified qualification program for aerospace sheet metal workers, covering forming, assembly, quality control, and traceability documentation; up to 441 hours of training.
• CQPM Assembleur au Plan Industriel en Chaudronnerie CQPM certified qualification program for industrial sheet metal assembly workers, covering plan reading, preparation, assembly, and quality control; priced at 7,685 EUR per program.
• Formation Soudage TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) TIG welding training covering arc welding principles, defect identification, and qualification exam preparation (ISO 9606-1, ASME, RCCM); for welders and industrial companies seeking TIG qualification.
• Formation Soudage MIG/MAG Semi-automatic MIG/MAG welding training covering joint execution, positioning, and qualification exam preparation; for welders and industrial companies seeking MIG/MAG qualification.
• Formation Soudage à l'Arc Électrode Enrobée Arc welding with coated electrodes training covering parameter settings, defect identification, and ISO 9606-1 qualification preparation; duration of 5 to 20 days depending on objectives and prerequisites.
• Formation Soudage Oxyacétylénique (SOA) Oxyacetylene (flame) welding training covering flame types, torch techniques, and ATG B 540-9 qualification preparation; for welders and industrial companies needing oxy-fuel welding certification.
• Formation Robotique Opérateur Industrial robot operator training covering robot startup, program reading, trajectory creation, and emergency procedures; for production operators entering Industry 4.0 environments.
• Formation Robotique Maintenance Premier Niveau First-level industrial robot maintenance training covering electrical and mechanical fault detection, component replacement, and system restoration; for maintenance technicians in automated production environments.
• Formation Lecture de Plans en Tuyauterie Piping plan reading training covering isometric representation, orthogonal projection, and standard component identification; for pipefitters and industrial companies needing qualified piping personnel.
• Formation Tuyauterie Industrielle Acier Inoxydable Stainless steel industrial piping training covering isometric reading, intersection development, and inert atmosphere welding; for pipefitters working with stainless steel in food, pharmaceutical, chemical, or nuclear sectors.
• Formation Découpage/Oxycoupage Manual and machine oxycutting training covering thermal cutting techniques, equipment setup, and safety procedures; for metalworkers and industrial companies requiring thermal cutting skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% pass rate for CQPM welder / boilermaker / pipefitter / assembler exams
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Groupe TRA-C IndustriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRA-C Industrie is the parent group of Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (STA). The group provides industrial engineering and training services, with STA serving as its dedicated vocational training division for industrial trades. The group's website (tra-c.com) references STA as part of its training and services ecosystem.
• La Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRégion ARA provides financial support and subsidies for training programs at STA, particularly for courses contributing to employability in sectors facing labor shortages. Collaborates with companies to develop customized training programs.
• France Travail (formerly Pole Emploi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance Travail funds training for job seekers, covering partially or fully the costs of STA certifications for unemployed individuals seeking industrial qualifications. Also offers professionalization contracts combining training with employment.
• Transition Pro Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransition Pro ARA supports employees undergoing professional transitions by financing STA training programs, covering partially or totally tuition costs to facilitate access to new qualifications.
• AGEFIPHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGEFIPH (Association de Gestion du Fonds pour l'Insertion Professionnelle des Personnes Handicapées) supports training for people with disabilities, providing financial assistance to cover STA training costs for accessibility and inclusion.
• UIMM (Union des Industries et Métiers de la Métallurgie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUIMM is the professional organization that organizes CQPM and TPM certification examinations. STA prepares candidates for these industry-recognized qualifications, with exams administered by UIMM professional juries.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GRETA: Public network of adult continuing-education centers delivering industrial and technical training across France, including welding and boilermaking. Comparable Qualiopi-certified training provider funded through CPF and regional mechanisms.
• AFPA: France's national agency for adult vocational training, with industrial trades among its program lines. A much larger incumbent that competes for the same job-seeker funding pool (France Travail) and offers welding/metalwork qualifications.
• CNAM: France's national conservatory of arts and trades offering vocational and engineering programs including industrial maintenance and welding-adjacent training. Comparable as a public-sector continuing education provider for working professionals.

Direct peers

• Aftral: Large French professional training group with industrial, logistics and safety tracks. Comparable in scale, Qualiopi-certified B2B training model and reliance on CPF/France Travail funding, though broader in scope than STA's welding focus.
• Compagnons du Devoir: Traditional French trade-guild apprenticeship organization offering welding, metalwork and industrial training via alternance. Comparable in training model, CQPM-style qualification outcomes and enterprise-sponsored pathways.
• Institut de Soudure (IS Groupe): France's flagship welding institute offering welding training, qualification and certification across processes (TIG, MIG/MAG, arc) and industries. Directly comparable as a welding-specialist vocational training provider competing for the same enterprise trainees and CQPM/ISO 9606 qualifications.
• AFPI / Pôle Formation UIMM: UIMM's national network of industrial training centers delivers the same CQPM certifications (welder, boilermaker, pipefitter, aerospace assembler) as STA. Directly competes for enterprise contracts and individual trainees across France's industrial basins.

Others

• Arts et Métiers ParisTech: Leading French engineering grande école with industrial manufacturing and welding/materials expertise. Adjacent ecosystem player that trains industrial engineers who shape welding training standards and corporate buying decisions.

Regional players

• CCI Formation / Campus des Métiers: Chambers of Commerce vocational training arms offering industrial and technical programs across French regions. Comparable Qualiopi-certified provider competing locally for CPF-funded trainees and enterprise contracts.

Emerging players

• TWI Global: UK-based The Welding Institute offering welding training, qualification and certification internationally. Comparable in welding-process expertise and international qualifications (CSWIP) even if not directly head-to-head in France.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soudage-technique-d'auvergne-s-t-a-
• Instagraminstagram.com/soudagetechniquedauvergne

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soudage Technique d'Auvergne (S.T.A)