Want to start your professional life with real challenges? Salah Bennani, who graduated last September with a research-oriented master's degree in KIMP (Knowledge Integration in Mechanical Production), seized the opportunity with the VTE (Volontariat Territorial en Entreprise, orTerritorial CorporateVolunteering).
How were you hired on a permanent contract at Metalsfer?
I found their industrialization engineer job posting on LinkedIn. I was very interested because it was a newly created position with field assignments. I learned that it was a VTE, a program that helps young graduates and work-study students gain initial experience with a high degree of autonomy and versatility in SMEs. It's a normal permanent contract, and as part of the VTE, you can benefit from assistance with moving, for example.
What are your responsibilities within this SME?
Metalsfer has around 30 employees and manufactures elevator cabins, from measurement to installation, as well as unique custom-made parts. My goal is to standardize work instructions and structure our expertise.
There is a good working atmosphere with a real desire for change. It's very rewarding because I'm involved in the company's development.
What are the advantages of starting your professional life in an SME?
I did some really rewarding internships at Faurecia and Plastic Omnium. These were super interesting experiences for my background because they're really structured, with tried-and-tested standards.
Now, I'm the one who has to set standards, using what I learned during my internships and adapting it.
In a large company, I would not have had as much freedom and responsibility.
Do you encourage students to apply for a VTE?
This is an opportunity not to be missed, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in new challenges and is ready to step outside their comfort zone.
What is VTE?
The Territorial Volunteering in Business program is celebrating its second anniversary. Launched to address economic challenges in the region, this program, supported by Bpifrance, encourages students and recent graduates to turn to SMEs and mid-sized industrial companies.
It enables their managers to develop their businesses thanks to the fresh perspective of young talent.
It is a win-win arrangement, where the work-study student or young graduate takes on a position with a high level of responsibility and is trained by the manager or one of the members of the management team.
It can be done on a work-study basis, with a fixed-term or permanent contract.
Since September, Bpifrance, in partnership with Ademe, has been offering the green VTE. This is an initiative of the Ministry of Ecological Transition for assignments related to environmental issues.
