ERAMET has close relations with higher education facilities in all subjects that are relevant to its activities. Since September 2012 the Groupe has sponsored a class at Chimie ParisTech, a renowned French chemical engineering school. For students it’s a great opportunity to discover the world of mining and metallurgy.
ERAMET has been working with Chimie ParisTech for several years, particularly through its jobs fair and a company open day initiative. Building on that relationship, the Groupe chose to sponsor the school’s most recent intake, the class that will graduate in 2015.
Being the class sponsor isn’t to be taken lightly. It’s a commitment by a company to let students discover its world and activities throughout their studies. In its first year as sponsor, ERAMET gave 70 of the 90 students in the class a backstage look at a nickel matte conversion plant or the ERAMET Research centre. In addition, the Groupe organised a number of meetings, including a panel on how to factor corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues into mining projects.
For ERAMET this sponsorship is a real opportunity to present the Groupe and its businesses, explain what skills it needs and motivate future engineers to join it. The Groupe has been recruiting Chimie ParisTech graduates for several years, including more than 15 of ERAMET Research’s 190-strong workforce.
Chimie ParisTech emphasises the importance of training students “in contact with businesses”. Interactions between ERAMET and the class of 2015 will continue over the next two years. In parallel, the school asked Groupe employees, including hydrometallurgy experts, to give lectures. Moreover, a Chimie ParisTech student is working on a thesis in ERAMET Research’s laboratories.
