"Young people are confident about the future of French industry!"
For the past ten years, the "High School Students and Industry" barometer has been analyzing young people's perceptions of industry. This 10th edition, conducted by Opinion Way for Arts et Métiers Bpifrance on the occasion of Global Industrie, reveals a reversal in the trend: young people now have confidence in the future of French industry, and the appeal of engineering studies has grown significantly over the past decade, particularly among girls.
"I am delighted that high school students are changing their perception of industry. It was created to serve society. Today, it is expected to make progress in terms of quality, safety, the environment, and health. To successfully transform themselves, companies need passionate young engineers who are capable of designing and implementing impactful technological and organizational innovations that are essential to environmental and societal energy transitions!" Laurent Champaney, CEOArts et Métiers.
The industry's positive image, an achievement built up over 10 years
72% of young people say they have a favorable opinion of the industry, which is 3 points higher than in 2013. Not only has the industry managed to maintain its image among high school students in science and technology streams, but there has even been an increase in those who say they have a very favorable opinion of the secondary sector: 15% compared to 10% ten years ago.
The industry's image is based on two pillars: dynamism and progress. A positive image driven primarily by innovation (88%) and job creation (81%, up 35 points in ten years). Industry is perceived as a sector that employs and trains more and more skilled personnel (80%, +9 points since 2013) and women at all levels of responsibility (72%, +22 points since 2013).
More than half of high school students want to study engineering.
The appeal of engineering studies has grown significantly over the past decade. From 46% in 2013, the proportion of high school students in science and technology streams wishing to pursue these courses has risen to 57% this year. This is a fundamental trend, as the proportion of those who are certain to follow this path has increased by 5 points in ten years to reach 21%.
The desire to work in industry has remained stable over the past ten years (43%), but it is noteworthy that girls are increasingly considering this as a future career path (the gap with boys is narrowing: it was 28 points in 2013 and is now 19 points). For 72% of young people, the industry is employing more and more women at all levels of responsibility.
Young people believe in the future of French industry
The insights provided by the "High School Students and Industry" barometer reveal a profound change in perception: 68% of high school students are confident about the future of French industry. In 2014, when the question was asked for the first time, only 38% were confident.
This confidence is based on a series of strengths, foremost among which is the power of soft power abroad, with 52% citing the prestige of Made in France and 34% citing the expertise exported around the world. High school students then cite creativity and R&D activities (36%) and the qualifications of the workforce (35%).
The industry can also count on its cutting-edge sectors to ensure its appeal. Among high school students who want to work in industry, the areas of activity that generate the most interest are electrical and digital equipment (43%), aerospace construction (41%), and renewable energies (36%). Although it remains in the background in the minds of high school students, it is also worth noting the sharp increase in the attractiveness of the shipbuilding industry over the past ten years (17%, up 9 points since 2013).
The attractiveness of industrial sectors remains particularly influenced by gender. Girls cite renewable energy (39%) first, followed by chemistry (26%), two sectors that rank third and sixth respectively among boys.
Finally, high school students studying science and technology believe that French industry can look to the future with confidence because it is capable of providing solutions to current crises, in addition to its contribution to the French economy. On the environmental crisis, 79% of them believe that industry will be able to find solutions to limit climate change, and 21% believe that it is already doing so. However, the sector still has a lot to do in this area: 65% of high school students believe that industry is one of the main sources of climate change.
