7th wave of the "Young People and Industry" observatory: the image of industry is improving significantly among young people, driven by innovation and products made in France. " There is a real desire among young people to work in industry. It is now up to us, as a technology institution, to promote encounters between students and manufacturers through our training programs, " Alexandre Rigal, Deputy CEO of Arts et Métiers.
During Industry Week 2019, check out the events happening on Arts et Métiers campuses.
In 2019, opinion of the industry reached an all-time high: 80% of high school students in science or technology streams have a favorable opinion of the industry, an increase of 5 points in one year. High school students with a favorable opinion of the industrial sector highlight its contribution to the economy, progress, and innovation (42%). Conversely, high school students with a negative opinion of industry saw their arguments change compared to last year: factory closures and layoffs fell to third place (44%, down 17 points), now preceded by pollution, which became the primary concern (47%, up 1 point), followed by working conditions (46%, down 10 points).
Confidence in the future of industry in France confirms the positive trend observed. 66% of high school students say they are confident about its prospects, a trend that has been rising steadily since 2014 (+28 points). Girls are now the most optimistic about the future of industry (71% compared to 62% for boys). The perception that it is easy for young people in France to find a job in the technology sector continues to grow and has become the majority view for the first time, at 53%, up 9 points since 2018 (+17 points in two years).
The industrial sector is becoming more attractive. 61% of high school students surveyed would like to work in the technology sector, a figure that has risen by 4 points in one year, after a dip over the last three years. This interest remains significantly higher among high school students in technology programs (81%) than among those in science programs (55%). For the first year, the proportion of high school students wishing to work in industry has exceeded 50%. In addition to exposure to cutting-edge technologies (88%), high school students continue to praise the opportunities for advancement within the industrial sector: 82% believe that industrial companies offer jobs in a wide variety of professions, 76% believe that they provide opportunities for training and professional development throughout one's career (+4 points), and 73% believe that they offer international career prospects (+2 points). However, less than one in two high school students say that their parents (48%) or teachers (46%) suggest this path to them. This is even more true for girls: seven out of ten high school students, regardless of gender, believe that girls are less encouraged than boys to make this choice.
For high school students, French industry is neither behind nor ahead of other countries (48%). 44% of young people surveyed cite the prestige of "Made in France" as the main asset of French industry —echoing the opinion of the French population as a whole (51%, up 8 points in two years), followed by the skill level of the workforce (37%), a view also shared by the French population as a whole (53%). French prestige appeals to the young people surveyed: 84% of high school students—especially girls (+10 points compared to boys)— say they would be proud to work for an industrial company producing "Made in France" products.
When asked about the jobs that interest them most, high school students who want to work in industry have a variety of aspirations: 48% of them say they want to become engineers. This 12-point decline compared to 2018 may be the result of the growing number of high school students wishing to work in industry, and therefore a diversification of profiles, with some imagining themselves as researchers (25%, +3 points), senior technicians (25%, +2 points), industrial designers (13%, +2 points), or electronics engineers (12%, +8 points). Above all, they want to work in the renewable energy sector (40%) or digital equipment (39%). The desire to study engineering remains stable at 56% (+1 point), a sign of a disconnect between industry and the engineering profession.
The feeling of being well informed about careers in industry, although still in the minority, is on the rise ( 48% vs. 39% in 2013). Career guidance forums are the most popular (68%, +5 points), followed by engineering schools with 67% (+2 points in one year and +6 points in two years). ONISEP, now in third place with 63% (+11 points), and teachers (54%, +10 points) are the players showing the biggest increase, while parents are down 3 points (52%). A new item, the media, is seen as a positive influence by only a third of those surveyed (33%).
From March 18 to 23, 2019, Arts et Métiers introducing young people to its training programs and careers in industry.
