Many high school students emphasize the essential role of industry in the economy and in the fight against the pandemic, but also against global warming.
509 high school students, representative of the population of high school students in science and technology streams, were surveyed between February 18 and March 12, 2021, for the ninth edition of the Les lycéens et l’industrie (High School Students and Industry) barometer conducted by OpinionWay for Arts et Métiers.
One of the main findings: 77% of them believe that industry is capable of providing answers to societal problems, whether economic, environmental, or social!
Economic, because "keeping the economy going" is the primary quality attributed to industry by those who have a favorable opinion of it (46%). 77% also believe that the sector is a source of jobs in France.
Environmental, because although young people consider it to be one of the main causes of global warming (59%), an even greater number are convinced that it will be able to find solutions to limit it (84%). It should be noted that French industry's commitment to ecological transition is among those that have progressed the most compared to last year (+4 points).
Social, because 86% of young people surveyed believe that industry can have a positive social impact on the lives of French people. Even those with a negative opinion of industry recognize this for the most part (67%).
The prestige of "Made in France"
The High School Students and Industry Barometer aims to understand and analyze how high school students in science and technology programs perceive the industry, and to analyze how this perception has changed over time.
Overall, the ninth edition shows young people's interest in industry. Far from tarnishing the sector's image among high school students, the pandemic has even sparked—or reinforced—career aspirations among some. For high school students, industry is more than ever a sector with a bright future, and they see the current crisis as an opportunity to (re)energize French industry. To achieve this, they want above all to capitalize on the prestige of "Made in France" by relocating as many industries as possible.
