Discovering the world of work - ninth grade internships at the CSTJF

• Since 2017, TotalEnergies Foundation has been actively supporting the association ‘Crée ton Avenir’ to guide young people in their career choices.
• Thanks to the commitment of Company staff, ninth-graders from priority education networks can benefit from quality internships.
• In Pau, TotalEnergies staff contributed to giving the students a real insight into the world of work so that they could see themselves in a professional context a few years from now.

With the association ‘Crée ton Avenir’, TotalEnergies gives ninth grade students a unique opportunity to find out about the world of work through group immersion in the company. These experiences, designed in partnership with educational establishments, enable young people to gain a more in-depth understanding of the professions and prepare their future careers.
 

A week’s immersion on the CSTJF campus

Finding a work-shadowing internship - a mandatory step for all ninth-graders - can often prove difficult, in particular for those in priority education networks. That’s why the teams at TotalEnergies decided once again this year, to welcome high-school students from the partner schools Jeanne d’Albret (Pau) and Pierre Bourdieu (Mourenx). During the week of February 17-21, the students were able to take part in a variety of workshops and activities, supervised by professionals from the association ‘Crée ton Avenir’.

"It’s been one of our commitments to young people for many years now. Once again, we’re delighted to welcome young people who need this kind of opportunity to show them what the world of work is like at the CSTJF. It’s a unique opportunity for them to find out what corporate life is like, and perhaps it will encourage some of them to continue their careers in the energy sector, which offers a variety of different professions - from digital technologies to procurement, through research and safety of course." affirms Jérôme Poncet, Head of the TotalEnergies Site in Pau. He continues: "We have chosen to draw on the know-how of the association ‘Crée ton Avenir’ to make sure that this week’s internship is as productive, insightful and supportive as possible for the high-school students who come to the CSTJF."

 

A turnkey internship thanks to the partnership with the association ‘Crée ton Avenir’

The association ‘Créé ton avenir’ helps young people (middle school and high school), to take their future into their own hands and secure a path toward professional inclusion or higher education by creating an environment conducive to their success.

"The one-week program in a company responds to the aim of a mandatory ninth-grade internship, set by the French National Education authorities." It is supervised by two professionals who specialize in supporting and guiding students, through entertaining, educational workshops we have designed in partnership with TotalEnergies. In addition to presenting the Company and taking time to chat to professionals about their jobs, young people are able to attend workshops that help them take a different stance as regards their future career. They think about the different contexts and motivation in the world of work, as well as the soft skills they have," explains Nadia Zarkani, Regional Manager for the association.

The small group dynamics helps create a reassuring context in which young people can learn from one another. At the end of their weeks’ internship, the students present a guideline project to Company professionals to help them prepare for their end-of-year oral exam.