Access and Success for All

Today’s world changes very quickly which means that the Grandes Ecoles must play an active role in adapting to this change: they must be a true “laboratory of ideas” to create the dynamics necessary to accompany this deep, structural and sustainable change to our society.

Being ‘socially open-minded’ is not just a term that is in fashion. The problem is very real and difficult and is one that is only just beginning to be explored – and one that has many facets to it. It is above all a highly complex societal problem which will not be solved solely through more open recruitment systems, but which will also require new forms of apprenticeship and changes to teaching methods.

The Grandes Ecoles are today convinced of the necessity to promote the development of all types of talents and are fully aware of the fundamental role that they must play in facilitating access to high level training for the most modest social/professional categories in order to reinforce social mixity.

To deal with this problem, following on from the initiatives launched on the subject nationally by the Conference of Grandes Ecoles (CGE), the Alliance of the Grandes Ecoles in Rhône-Alpes (AGERA) has organised a working process on the theme of social open-mindedness. 
The first action taken in this area was the organisation of an awareness symposium on 12 December 2005. This focused on the theme "From School Through to the Grande Ecole".

The event took place at the ENTPE. It was attended by 130 persons, including 25 speakers, and its main focal points were Respect, Exchange, Experience Sharing and Tolerance. Mr. Azouz Begag, Minister in charge of the Promotion of Equal Opportunities, concluded the day’s debates.

In continuation of this first day, a second symposium was organised on 10 January 2007 at the ENTPE: From the Company to the Grande Ecole: "A Visa for Performance”.
This second edition focussed on social/economic environments and aimed at studying the systems set in place by companies (lifelong learning, APL and financing) in order to facilitate social promotion of staff.

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