Connecting School and Industry

More than ever, we need science and technology to address the pressing challenges of the world we live in. It is important we keep raising the younger generation’s awareness and understanding as well as opening them up to the wide variety of jobs in these fields that contribute to building a better and more responsible future.

Teachers play an essential role in this effort. Not only are they the ones sparking up students’ interest for science and technology in the classroom, they are also in the front line when it comes to widening up their horizons and providing them with guidance for their study and career choices.

This is why La Fondation Dassault Systèmes participated in this school year’s edition of Professeurs en Entreprise, an initiative the CGénial foundation have been carrying out for years in France.

In line with our commitment to fostering STEM education and awareness, we gave the education community the opportunity to visit various locations of a scientific and technology company where innovation takes place. Learning more about industry-related challenges while meeting with professionals to find out about their jobs and skills allows teachers to have insightful information and concrete examples to share back with their students. This way, they can help young people better apprehend the diversity of scientific jobs, project into their future and, perhaps, consider pursuing a career in STEM.

After a pilot session held in Lyon in November 2022, eight other visits took place in March and April 2023, gathering around seventy teachers and education professionals in Saint-Romain de Colbosc, Villeneuve d’Ascq, Plouzané, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Colomiers, Aix-en-Provence and Biot.

Committed Dassault Systèmes volunteers from a variety of profiles met with visiting teachers to share their passion, explain what they do on a daily basis, how they got there, as well as the hard and soft skills they are using as part of their job. They also actively engaged in meaningful discussions about STEM studies, diversity and how to encourage girls to take on scientific and technical avenues, inclusion, profiles and skills that are in demand, the importance of enticing young students to learn how to learn, develop an appetite for problem solving, and work on projects.

We are glad to contribute to building bridges between the education community and the business world for the benefit of young students, supporting teachers in helping them pave the way for a bright future with such mutually enriching experiences.