Denis Lagadrillère, senior technician at AMVALOR, will receive his Master II degree in materials and surface engineering in May 2023, which he obtained through a work-based learning program.
"Aligning my status with my duties and responsibilities"
An employee of theArts et Métiers valuation structure since March 1984, Denis enrolled at the CNAM to obtain a master's degree in metallurgy (BAC +4) in 1995. In 1998, he became head of industrial transfer activities in the field of materials and damage analysis and was involved in all the characterization needs of doctoral students enrolled in the campus research laboratory, the Laboratoire des Matériaux et Procédés (LaBoMaP).
Over the years, his desire to obtain a status commensurate with his responsibilities grew stronger, but to do so he needed to take one last step in his education by obtaining a master's degree.
"Revisiting my career path"
Given his professional experience, the solution of Validating Acquired Experience (VAE) became obvious, as did the choice of the Master II degree in Materials and Surface Engineering offered by Arts et Métiers. The theme of this program was perfectly in line with Denis's profession and experience. In fact, he has been involved in it for several years as a trainer in one of the Teaching Units (UE).
While it was necessary to take certain courses alongside young students in the traditional program, most of the work consisted of revisiting his professional career. This involved identifying all the equivalencies with the topics covered in the degree program and compiling them into a document that was as comprehensive and clear as possible. The final result was a document of about 100 pages.
"A challenge a few years before the end of my career"
"This work, which took over a year to complete, was an intense and very rewarding exercise. It was a kind of self-portrait that allowed me to relive several stages of my career and appreciate the diversity of this profession, which is what makes it so interesting, thanks also to the formidable technical and scientific framework provided byArts et Métiers. Challenging myself a few years before the end of my professional career was also a challenge in itself, especially as I was the first to use the VAE (validation of acquired experience) system for this degree, even though it has been in place at Arts et Métiers 2005."
"Recognition of my professional progress"
On June 2, 2022, Denis presented his thesis before an experienced jury, which awarded him a Master II degree in Materials and Surface Engineering. This success was recognized by his employer, AMVALOR, which granted him the status of engineer: "For me, this degree is a form of recognition of my professional progress in a career that I have spent entirely at Arts et Métiers, and which has enriched me greatly."
On May 27, 2023, Denis will be invited to the graduation ceremony to be held in Cluny.
