Welcome to Newcomers

More and more new people from all over the world are joining the rapidly expanding ITER team in Cadarache, and the demand for information and assistance in organizing the relocation and settling in of families is increasing accordingly. To meet and greet these new employees and their spouses, get to know the faces and try to answer all the questions, the ITER France Welcome Office last Thursday 23 January organized its first Welcome Seminar at the Château de Cadarache.

ITER Director-General Kaname Ikeda warmly greeted the about 30 newcomers that were invited and then gave an comprehensive overview of what ITER is all about, especially for the spouses, who no doubt hear, but not necessarily know, a lot about the ins and outs of the ITER project. His presentation was followed by a wealth of information to help families settle in, such as how to find a home, get a car, get the administrative paperwork done, learn French and enjoy life in the Provence.

The group then took a bus to have a look at the ITER construction site and get a feel for how much, how big and what a challenge the ITER project really is. Fitted with boots, helmets and safety jackets they had a walk over the sandy hill where digging will start next year to build the tokamak to get a sense for the work that needs to be done.

After their retorn the group had a bite together and shared their impressions. "It is important to create this opportunity for the newcomers to get to know one another and give them the practical information they need to settle in as quickly as possible," says Emmanuelle Bellange, Welcome Office Manager. This is only the first one of a long series of seminars to fit the needs of the newcomers even better."