Jean-Michel Fournier, head of the integrated systems design apprenticeship program at Grenoble Institute of Technology-Phelma

Jean-Michel Fournier, head of the integrated systems design apprenticeship program at Grenoble Institute of Technology-Phelma

“It took our apprentices about a semester to get their bearings”

What does the first incoming class in the integrated systems design apprenticeship program look like?
The class has ten students, nine male and one female. All have a two-year degree in Electrical Engineering and Industrial IT; two have prior experience with apprenticeship programs, which combine classroom instruction with an in-company placement. This year’s apprenticeship host companies are Asygn, Sagem (in Valence), Sorin, E2V, and STMicroelectronics, which hired six apprentices. The in-company apprenticeship supervisors have been impressed by how well the students have adapted to their work environments and commended their strong commitment to the tasks they have been assigned. These tasks will evolve as students advance through the course curriculum and acquire new knowledge.
 

Has this first class experienced any particular difficulties?
It took the students a semester to get their bearings. They had to get used to alternating one month at school and one month at work. They also had to adapt to the heavy workload, especially for theoretical courses where they have to grapple with major new concepts. The faculty has been really pleased with their level of involvement.
 

Are you planning to change anything moving forward?
We would like to help students adapt to their in-company work environments faster. We will do this by distributing the theoretical and practical course content a bit differently over the year. As for the in-company placements, it is too soon to tell. We are working closely with the host companies to get their feedback and recommendations for improvements.

Contact: jean-michel.fournier@phelma.grenoble-inp.fr

Facebook

Twitter