Industry week - an immersive outing for high-school students

30 high-school students studying the STI2D course in Pau, toured a solar farm and found out about the technical professions involved. This article looks back on the tour designed to boost the appeal of this sector among young people and promote gender diversity in industrial professions.

• The 13^th edition of Industry Week, which aims to boost the appeal of industry and industrial professions, took place in November all over France.
• Teams from TotalEnergies stepped up to welcome students as part of an initiative approved by the French Directorate General for Enterprise, in the Ministry of Economics and Finance.
• The aim was for students to make the link between their studies and their application in practice, and to discover the appeal of professions related to the production of renewable energy.

For a full week, the organizers of this national event gave students the opportunity to meet professionals working in industry, find out about innovative professions and the sectors that are hiring, get information on the different sectors and training possibilities, etc. Every year, the nationwide event contributes to boosting the appeal of the industrial sector, particularly among young people. It also promotes gender diversity in industrial professions and the place women have in the different sectors. It was natural for the teams from TotalEnergies - an industrial leader in the energy sector and particularly committed to training for young people - to take part in the operation.

So on November 22, 30 high-school students from Saint-Cricq in Pau, traveled to Noguères to tour the solar farm built on industrial wasteland. They have all taken STI2D studies - Sciences and Technologies for Industry and Sustainable Development - and, accompanied by professionals, were able to visit the site and understand how it operates. Emmanuelle Verbard, Operations Manager for Solar Farms and Thomas Ollier, a Maintenance Technician at TotalEnergies, led the tour with enthusiasm to promote the image of a modern, innovative and ecological company.

For Christophe Larqué, the teacher who accompanied the students, this kind of operation allows students to understand exactly what a solar farm is and how it works, and draw parallels with the theoretical modules they study in STI2D class. "The tour also serves to forge links with the industrial world as, in there are no internships in these sectors unfortunately. So it’s a great opportunity for the students to discover industrial sites close to their high school. Moreover, TotalEnergies is a major company with many international affiliates, it’s a real opportunity for our students who are potential future employees."

A place for young women

The students were interested and inquisitive and are now familiar with the ins and outs of the process for producing this renewable source of electrical energy, explained to them by experts.

"Whenever we can, we try to participate in this kind of operation, to share our knowledge and make sure students know about the kind of jobs we do. It gives them a better idea of what they can expect in a professional environment. I noticed that there were few young women in the group and, as a woman myself, I also feel strongly about boosting the appeal of industrial professions to them. The Company is committed to promoting gender diversity. TotalEnergies is a leader in the energies sector, and the diversity of talents in the Company is one of its many strengths" Emmanuelle emphasizes.

Just four young women in a group of 30 students, a great shame according to Christophe Larqué: "“It’s the result of a lot of preconceived ideas and clichés about the industrial world. Students need to look beyond the stereotypes and realize that these professions are not destined for men more than for women, because it’s definitely not the case. It will take time to sink in, but we keep on working every day, year in, year out, to encourage more young women to take courses in the industrial sector. We organize events and invite female engineers to come and talk about their jobs, and help students realize that women have their rightful place in the industrial world."

Watch the video:

• Generation energies: toward greater diversity
• Building our multi-energy Company with Camille
• L’Industreet, a Campus for the Industry Professions of Tomorrow

Find out more about all the different energy sources in relation to educational curricula:

• Planète énergies

Find out about TotalEnergies’ school, an innovative campus that offers free training in new industrial professions:

• L’Industreet