A network connecting students and businesses

The nonprofit Un stage, et après ?, recently created by students of the Paris political science faculty, counsels high school students from the sensitive districts of the Paris region in their search for a training course, and throughout the school year, to familiarize them with the corporate world. These young students have little or no knowledge of the corporate world, and often only have access to a limited choice of internship opportunities.
With this in mind, the nonprofit wants to create a network to connect students with corporations.

Un stage, et après ? is based on the "discovery course" which junior high school students have to take in companies to broaden their perspectives on the working world and to give them the opportunity to discover leading businesses and higher institutions, as well as dynamic SMEs, after preparatory work enabling them to make an enlightened choice.
The course is a first step toward professional life for students. Once completed, it is easier for them to turn toward a profession and expand their professional network.

This project has the merit of fostering diversity in companies by promoting the integration of students from sensitive districts, who are virtually shut out of their universe.

Access to the same type of course as students from more affluent families

The nonprofit initially set a dual objective: to interview companies and get them to agree to publish their course offers to recruit students from these districts and, at the same time, to obtain the backing of the French Ministry of National Education to support these actions, which contribute to promoting equal opportunity.

The creation of a dedicated Internet site, where the students can find lists of training courses, professional datasheets, and write an application letter, a Resume and the course report, will help establish an effective network connecting the high school students of the sensitive districts of the Paris region. As an indispensable complement, the nonprofit also organizes awareness raising events, such as lectures and forums on the corporations, training workshops, and proposes follow-up meetings with the students.

The backing of the institutional partners (National Education Ministry, local associations, including Zy'Va in Nanterre), that of many partner corporations, will give this project the ambition to ultimately become a public policy.

The sponsor of Un stage, et après ?, director of institutional relations at Veolia Environnement, is deeply involved in counselling and supervising the project, to which she provides her skills and her relations.

The grant, awarded to this association by the jury of the 2010 "Student Solidarity Awards" will finance the creation of the Internet site.

In 2011, over 30 businesses have joined the network

Since the award ceremony in June 2010, the association has developed new partnership programs with businesses in order to provide a diverse array of choices for students. A discovery program was also set up allowing students to learn the range of careers available in these businesses. Today, close to 30 structures are part of the network.

The Veolia Environnement group welcomed students as well and the Veolia Environnement Campus organised a day when it presented the environment related careers to students from the local high school.

The French National Education Ministry has suggested to the rectorate setting up the program in their Academy. Un stage et après? has also been heard by the Senate's delegation, who included information on the project in their report written on the future of high schools, published in 2011.

OTHER PROJECT SUPPORTED

Un stage et après: Creating a collaborative platform to optimize the coordination and communication of a nonprofit for junior high school students in the Paris area.
Domain: Social and employment
Country: France
Endowment: 2012/06/05
Learn more about this project