Arkema will help Fondation CGénial to rise the interest of middle and high school students in joining the careers in science, technology and digital engineering.
The international manufacturer of specialty materials Arkema strengthens its commitment to Fondation CGénial by introducing the careers in science, technology and digital engineering to middle and high school students. The company is partner of the Foundation since 2016 and a member of its Board of Directors.
Starting from September 2023, Arkema will join the circle of the “Génialissimes” patrons of the foundation, increasing the number of classroom visits and presentations as well as supporting new programmes, such as gender workshops to promote the feminisation of scientific careers.
“As a leader in Specialty Materials, it's essential that we support pedagogical and educational initiatives that give young people a taste for science. We share the Foundation's mission to promote science and showcase industrial careers to encourage the professions of tomorrow. In line with the initiatives of recent years, it seemed natural for us to invest even more by becoming a major sponsor, thus reinforcing and extending the impact of our actions alongside Fondation CGénial”, has stated Thierry Parmentier, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Communication.
“Arkema has become a major partner of Fondation CGénial by involving its employees in our activities and opening its sites throughout France. We're delighted to have taken this next step, which will allow us to increase our impact”, has added Hélène Chahine, General Delegate of Fondation CGénial.
Arkema will participate in the four main initiatives of the association:
- “Ingénieurs et techniciens dans les classes” (Engineers and technicians in the classroom): since its creation in 2006, the Foundation has enabled more than 80,000 middle and high school students to benefit from a classroom intervention. Since 2015, nearly 9,000 students have discovered Arkema's professions by meeting the Group's volunteer employees who share their career paths and daily lives.
- “Professeurs en entreprise” (Teachers in the workplace): secondary school teachers that visit sites and R&D centres in order to learn about jobs, career opportunities, new technologies and working methods as well as sharing real-world examples with their students. To date, almost 500 teachers and educational leaders have visited 18 of the Group's sites in France.
- “Le concours CGénial” (CGénial competition): every year, a national competition is organised for middle and high school students to present a project related to science and engineering disciplines. In 2023 nearly 7,500 middle and high school students submitted more than 360 projects.
- “Yes We Code!”, a program dedicated to raising awareness of the digital sciences and enabling young people to design digital projects and devices.
“I didn't expect such a high-quality visit. I appreciated everything, including the quality of the discussions, the people I met, the plant, the links that I will be able to use in the classroom, the concrete applications to my subject and the fact that the role of women in this branch of industry was highlighted”, has concluded a teacher visiting the Genay site.