Value registration in continuing education with students of grandes écoles

Continuing education is an essential lever for graduates of grandes schools wishing to accelerate their career development and adapt to changes in the market. Between acquisition of specialized skills, development of the professional network and response to the new challenges of companies, it offers multiple progression opportunities. To encourage students to engage in this approach throughout their professional lives, the grandes écoles must implement targeted communication strategies and integrate continuous training at the heart of the routes.

Summary :

1- The benefits of continuing education for graduates of major schools
2- Communication strategies to promote continuing education
3- Integration of continuing education in the course of the grandes écoles

The benefits of continuing education for graduates of grandes écoles

Acquisition of specialized skills

Faced with a constantly evolving labor market, it becomes essential for professionals to develop specialized and sought -after expertise. Continuing education offers the possibility of acquiring these sharp skills that will make the difference.

By training in the latest technologies or methods in its field, such as mastery of specific software for a designer or learning innovative techniques for an engineer, you become a rare profile and prized by employers. An accountant who would follow in -depth training in management control and financial audit would see for example his reinforced employability. Likewise, a marketing specialist who would train in the management of digital projects would gain in versatility and value on the market.

Adaptation to market developments

Continuing education is an essential lever to remain competitive in a constantly changing professional environment. Faced with the emergence of new technologies and practices in many sectors such as digital marketing, data science or industry 4.0, updating its skills is essential.

However, undertaking training can sometimes seem time -consuming and expensive, especially for experienced professionals. Finding the necessary time and financing are the main brakes mentioned.

It is however crucial to consider continuing education as a long -term investment. Whether it is to evolve within your business, change jobs or even convert, acquire new skills makes it possible to adapt to the transformations of the trades. This is the key to maintaining its employability and seizing new professional opportunities.

Ultimately, betting on training throughout his career is now unavoidable. It is by adopting a permanent learning posture that we can really face the challenges of an ever more demanding and competitive labor market.

Professional network development

Continuing education offers many networking opportunities to develop its professional network:

• Privileged exchanges with professional stakeholders who share their expertise and field experience.

• Sharing experiences between peers, making it possible to confront points of view and expand your network to other sectors.

• Group works promoting collaboration and creation of sustainable links between participants.

• Informal meetings during breaks or events organized on the sidelines of training, conducive to networking.

• Access to the directory of elders and the events of alumni associations, to maintain the relationships made during the training.

Ultimately, undergoing continuous training means joining a community of professionals sharing the same challenges and ambitions. A unique opportunity to enrich its network and develop new professional opportunities.

Communication strategies to promote continuing education

Graduate testimonies

Collecting feedback from former students who have undergone continuous training can be difficult. Despite their relevance to enhance these courses, graduates are often little available once reintegrated into professional life.

However, some actions make it possible to obtain these precious testimonies:

• Set up a network of alumni and organize events to maintain the link with the old ones.

• Ask testimonies just after graduation, when the training is still cool in the spirits.

• Simplify the collection methods as much as possible (online form, telephone interview, etc.).

Once collected, these concrete returns on the impact of training in a professional career will be great promotion tools. Relayed on the website, social networks, in brochures or during information meetings, they will give future students an overview inspiring opportunities offered by these qualifying courses. An effective way to arouse vocations and enhance the richness of continuing education.

Partnerships with companies

Involving companies in the valuation of continuing education represents a major issue for the grandes écoles. Indeed, professional interventions and co-constructed programs make it possible to enrich the courses and anchor them in the reality of the professional world.

To achieve this, schools can establish targeted partnerships with leading companies in their sector. For example, a mastery specialized in Supply Chain could involve logistics experts from large industrial groups to share their experience on concrete cases. Likewise, Digital Marketing Training would benefit from being co-developed with renowned agencies in the sector to integrate the latest trends and good practices.

Schools can also offer their partner companies to sponsor promotions, by getting involved in the selection of students and the monitoring of projects throughout the year. The Carrefour company thus sponsors the MS distribution and customer relations of a large business school each year, by piloting a Red FIL project on a Retail issue. Another example: the EY firm which collaborates closely with an engineering school on a program dedicated to digital transformation, by providing its expertise on the latest technological innovations.

Internships, professionalization contracts, interventions of managers, business projects, teaching chairs ... The possibilities are multiple to concretely involve companies in the curriculum, for the benefit of students as businesses themselves, which can identify and attract the best talents. A win-win partnership to activate to strengthen the employability and skills rise of graduates.

Targeted communication on social networks

Young graduates, very present and active on social networks, are looking for information on training and career opportunities. However, capturing their attention in an incessant flow of content represents a real challenge.

To effectively reach this audience, it is essential to adopt an adapted tone and format. Short, visual and dynamic posts, relaying alumni testimonies or highlighting concrete projects, will arouse more interest than long institutional texts. Humor and generational references, used wisely, can also promote commitment.

In addition, it is wise to favor the platforms acclaimed by young graduates, such as Instagram or Tiktok, in addition to professional networks like Linkedin. A multi-channel presence will multiply the contact points and maintain a long-term relationship with these prescribers of tomorrow.

Integration of continuing education in the course of grandes écoles

Awareness from the initial course

Several actions can be implemented to familiarize students with continuing education from their initial course:

• Organize conferences and round tables with professionals and alumni to share their experience in continuing education and its impact on their careers. This will allow students to better understand the challenges and opportunities.

• Offer optional short modules dedicated to continuing education, to present the existing devices (VAE, CPF, skills assessment ...), possible funding and the process to follow. These modules could be led by experts in continuing education.

• Including in certain courses and projects of professional scenarios requiring a upgrade of skills, to make students aware of the importance of regularly updating their knowledge.

• Encourage and enhance extra-academic experiences (internships, associative activities, personal projects ...) in the course, because they participate in the continuous development of skills and employability. A portfolio of skills could be set up to trace all these experiences.

By raising awareness among students as soon as possible, the grandes écoles will encourage them to be actors in their professional development throughout life, beyond the initial diploma. Continuing education will then become a natural reflex to constantly adapt to changes in trades.

Hybrid Programs Initial/Continue Training

The mixed courses combining initial training and continuing education modules allow great flexibility in the acquisition of skills:

• Alternating periods in school and business, to combine theory and practice. Learning and professionalization contracts are conventional examples.

• Integration of short qualifying modules within the initial course, to obtain specific skills sought by companies. For example, short training in agile project management for engineering students.

• Possibility to complete your initial training with certificates or diplomas in continuing education. A marketing graduate could thus follow a data analysis certificate to enrich his profile.

Among the innovative initiatives:

• The young entrepreneur Bachelor of EM Lyon, where students compete at school and development in parallel with their business.

• The Du Passerelle offered by Grenoble IAE, allowing employees or job seekers to integrate a Master 2 thanks to a year of refresh.

These hybrid formulas enrich the courses and promote successful professional integration by meeting the needs of companies as closely as possible. They illustrate the growing complementarity between initial and continuous training.

Personalized post-diploma support

Upon graduation, young alumni benefit from tailor -made support to facilitate their professional integration. The school careers service, in connection with the old -fashioned association, guides them in their first steps.

In the following months, regular follow -up is ensured to ensure their good integration into a business. Individual interviews make it possible to identify possible difficulties and to propose solutions. Collective workshops are also organized to tackle themes such as taking up a job or the management of professional relations.

Throughout their journey, graduates are informed of continuing education opportunities to develop their skills. Tailor-made programs can be designed with companies to meet the job development needs. The school also provides online resources (MOOC, Webinars) to promote self-training.

Thanks to this system involving the teaching staff, the school services and the network of elders, graduates benefit from a long -term support, at key stages of their careers. Enough to calmly trace their path in a constantly changing professional world.

Continuing education is an essential lever for graduates of grandes schools wishing to accelerate their career development and adapt to changes in the market. It allows you to acquire specialized skills, to develop your professional network and to meet new challenges of companies. To encourage students to engage in this approach throughout their professional life, the grandes écoles must implement targeted communication strategies, integrate continuing education at the heart of the courses and propose devices facilitating applications and admissions, like the emunded solutions that make it possible to simplify these key processes.