And multicultural teams develop high speed

More: in 2006, nearly 28,000 engineers have been graduates in France, beaten record. A figure that has almost doubled in 15 years, with an average growth of the population of 4.3 per year in schools. Such is the realization that results evaluation, foresight and branch performance (DEPP) of the Ministry of National Education. This progression of flows is explained both by the growth of the numbers in the "traditional" courses, and the creations of new schools, or even new streams, type "engineers 2000".

In itself, this finding of a regular rise in the flow of engineering graduates is good news for businesses and for the French economy. As it comes at a time where the number of recruiters look at the future with concern. For several reasons.

First, signs of tension are multiplying on the market for the employment of young engineers. The high-tech course is first online: SSII, Council offices and firms users have difficulty growing to find the profiles they need out of schools. "In General, the health of the economy is increasingly linked to the development of technologies," said Dominique Duflo, HRD of Sogeti France." Today, major projects restart, and with them the volumes of hirings of engineers. And the demographic shock increases tensions. "Alone, Sogeti provides recruiting year next smics graduates in Europe (among which a large majority of engineers) including 2,000 on the French market either an increase of 10 in one year.

Another reason for gloom: longer term observers spooked of the disinterest of young people for scientific disciplines. In question, the image of these formations, deemed arid and difficult, but also, more broadly, a growing distrust science and progress. A phenomenon that affects the whole of the Western countries the United States in mind. Everywhere, the young and particularly girls prefer turn tried learning more accessible, such as management, finance or marketing. Aware of the problem, Robert Germinet, Director of the Mines of Saint-Etienne, has partnered with several leading scientists, such as the Nobel Prize in physics Georges Charpak, to launch an international competition called "prize Purkwa". Objective: encourage, beginning in primary school, scientific vocations.

But above all, the evolution of the market for engineers is a major challenge for manufacturers as to schools. Because to the 28,000 engineers coming out each year institutions françaises, China already shaped some 300,000. And it has well increase the pace in the coming years. To do this, the Middle Kingdom multiply partnerships with foreign institutions. The central schools were open last year a school in Beijing. Enac (1), for its part, plans to open a franco-chinois College of engineering. And the schools of the ParisTech network welcome each year several dozens of Chinese students. On the India it degree 250,000 new engineers a year. With this, the perspective to accelerate the pace.

For the time being, although Asian countries do not yet constitute real competitors. "In our professions, relations of proximity with customers predominate again." "But it is true that the market is changing," said Dominique Duflo. "If business French and European now recruit engineers from all countries, it is mainly to work in the international." So, it cannot yet speak of a global market of engineers, confirms Benoît Legait, Director of the Ecole des mines de Paris. But things could change. Relocation of offices for studies or research to Asia can intervene quickly. "Already, the Conference of the grandes écoles observed that approximately 15 of the engineering graduates get their first job abroad. The European market, is already a reality: a growing number of companies hire either German, French, British or Spanish engineers. And multicultural teams develop high speed.

Finally, the strategy of the United States is another topic of discussion. Faced the same problems of disaffection for scientific studies than the Europeans, they display a lack of training of engineers. "But they are applicants, and the difference of our industrialists, willing to pay high salaries to attract talent, note Benoît Legait." They could thus attract more and more.

In short, it is a vast part of global failures which might engage. In this context, the French engineering schools have however an asset: the quality of the training they provide. In any case is the belief of Denis Ranque, pattern of Thales and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mines de Paris. General-purpose, versatile, supported on solid technical foundations, this training to adapt to the evolutions of the technologies. Can, tomorrow, withstand the Asian steamroller and the new world order This is the question.