Year 9 work experience: an immersion into CSTJF to expand horizons

For the sixth year running, the Jean Féger Scientific and Technical Centre (CSTJF) invited year 9 pupils from priority education areas to take part in tailored, collective job shadowing. For one week, from 2 to 6 February 2026, 17 pupils from the Jeanne d’Albret secondary school in Pau, Pierre Bourdieu secondary school in Mourenx and Sainte-Bernadette secondary school (Apprentis d’Auteuil) in Pau to discover the Pau site and the careers on offer. Throughout the week, they were accompanied by the Crée ton Avenir association*, a partner of the TotalEnergies Foundation, in close collaboration with the site’s teams.
 

This format meets a strong educational choice, which Mrs Loustau, the headteacher at Jeanne d’Albret Secondary School outlined in detail.

She highlighted that "a collective one-week immersion into a large company often offers secondary school pupils a richer experience compared to traditional one-to-one job shadowing. In traditional job shadowing, the pupil observes a single person or department. They discover a specific profession but rarely the overall complexity of an organisation.” According to her, this work placement at TotalEnergies allows the pupils to discover several professions within the same organisation, understand how the various departments interact with one another and learn about the concept of teamwork. “The pupils don’t just see a specific job, but the entire professional ecosystem at large."

Accompanied on a daily basis by two supervisors from the Crée ton Avenir association, the school pupils alternated between themed workshops, site visits, meetings with employees and preparing a Job Fair presented at the end of the week before a jury. Discussions with industry professionals in various fields from law to safety, to HR to technical and scientific areas gave the pupils an insight into the vast array of possible career paths a single company can offer.

Mrs Loustau also emphasised the human aspect of this scheme. She reiterated that traditional work placements can be intimidating when the pupils find themselves alone with adults they don’t know in a new environment.

In contrast, "during collective immersion, the pupils participate in the experience together: they share their impressions, they ask their questions as part of a group, they support one another. This dimension reduces anxiety and promotes engagement. It also helps them to develop their social skills including cooperation, listening, public speaking and a critical mindset."
 

Expanding the field of possibilities

For these school pupils, being granted access to a large company such as TotalEnergies represents a key moment. Mrs Loustau pointed out that it’s about both projecting oneself towards ambitious academic paths and meeting inspirational role models.

She added that “this immersion can expand their horizons and help fight against self-censorship and social determinism”, concluding that "last year, this work placement at TotalEnergies had a very positive impact on the academic ambitions of certain girls from priority areas."

As for the pupils, this immersive week left a lasting imprint. Discussions with employees and shared enthusiasm opened up new prospects and nurtured a personal reflection on their future career path.

Susanne, 14, summed up the spirit of the week: “Throughout this work placement, many people came to talk to us about their jobs. What I loved about their presentation wasn’t really the work itself but the way in which they talked about it. They spoke with such passion… It was like they were talking about a great adventure they had embarked on and it made me want to do a job I really like.”

"By welcoming these school pupils, the CSTJF reiterates its teams’ commitments to young people and equal opportunities, and the company’s openness to its region. We are very proud of this scheme and the results reported by Mrs Loustau and the educational leaders of other secondary schools. Besides this scheme, the site’s employees organise themselves to welcome around sixty secondary school pupils in a more traditional format every year. This commitment is gaining momentum: we took the initiative to offer work placements to 120 year-10 pupils whom we will welcome in June."

*Crée ton Avenir is a partner association of the TotalEnergies Foundation specialised in guiding young people in their career choices.