The Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille held its first afternoon event to raise awareness about women's studies and careers in industry on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
Presentation of engineering students' career paths, feedback from industry professionals, awards ceremony following practical work carried out by middle and high school girls who participated in the "Cordées de la réussite" program this year on campus...
A look back at an event rich in emotion and meaning!
"Women in Industry": A meaningful afternoon of awareness-raising, focusing on careers in science and technology for women
Middle and high school girls participating in the campus's "Cordées de la réussite" program honored
During National Cordées de la Réussite Week, the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille honored the groups of middle and high school girls who participated in the program this year, organizing an awareness-raising afternoon to make a lasting impression.
"For the first edition of Cordées de la Réussite on campus, we wanted to mark the occasion and go even further by organizing this event to raise awareness among young girls about careers in engineering. Twelve all-female groups took part in the program this year, designing and manufacturing a multi-technique trophy using the various platforms in our workshops (forging, casting, 3D printing, welding, etc.)," explain Michaël Debarge and Maxime Kuchinski, the two teachers behind the project.
On the agenda:
- Student testimonials about their academic journey and experience atArts et Métiers
- The engineering profession presented by Elen Duval, engineer at RTE and member of the Women Engineers Association
- Presentation of trophies made by middle and high school girls and sharing of experiences
The only walls you have to face are the ones you build yourself.
Inspiring student journeys
Among the participants, five students from Grande Ecole Engineering Programme to share their stories, their paths to the general engineering programArts et Métiers their aspirations with the high school and middle school students in attendance.
While for some, a career in engineering seemed predestined from an early age, others discovered the possibility of pursuing such studies as they grew up.
To gain admission to a prestigious engineering school, young women discovered through these testimonials that there were different possibilities other than the "traditional" route of preparatory classes (CPGE).
Of the five students, three had completed a preparatory class (CPGE), while the other two had graduated with a DUT (university technical diploma) in Physical Measurements and a Bachelor's degree, respectively. These two students explained that they were able to enter Arts et Métiers the first year of the engineering program (three years after high school), just like the other three, through the ENSEA competitive exam (now known as the AMbition exam).
At the end of these testimonials, and in response to questions from middle and high school girls, Maÿlis concluded, "The only walls you have to face are the ones you build yourselves."
Is being a woman in the industry a mental burden?
Following the students' testimonials, Elen Duval-Zimmerman, a graduateArts et Métiers, engineer at RTE, and ambassador for the Femmes Ingénieures association, presented her inspiring career path and experience, and provided additional answers to the questions previously asked by the young women.
"Being a woman in industry does not represent any more mental load than in other professions or fields of activity. Mental load is not linked to a particular profession; it depends on each individual's professional and personal situation," she concluded.
Encouraging project presentations
Following these testimonials, all participants were able to see the trophies created by the groups of young girls during their various practical sessions at the campus platforms and workshops, as part of the Cordées de la Réussite program.
Although the jury was unable to choose a winner, each group made a lasting impression with the quality of their work and the confidence they displayed during their oral presentations.
No one knows today whether any of them will become engineers or technicians in industry, but one thing is certain: the date has already been set for next year!
Thank you to Manon Beuchey, Maÿlis De Montgolfier, Laure Huchez, Anne-Victoire Storme, and Kimberley Bouahar for their powerful and inspiring testimonials, as well as to Daniel Brethé, Grégory Sarafian, and Isaure Saguez for supporting the middle and high school students since the beginning of the year in creating their trophies.
Congratulations to Maxime Kuchinski and Michaël Debarge for their success in this first edition of "Cordées de la Réussite" at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille
Congratulations to all the teams for their achievements and presentations!
