Our internship possibilities
Quentin: "There is a family atmosphere at work."
After a technical internship of several months, Quentin Bourguignon was recruited by ENGIE. That was 15 years ago. (And he still works here as a technician.) He’s a real UPtimist! Recently he decided to start with a bachelor in electromechanics by taking evening classes, and is doing his internship at ENGIE.
What has this internship brought you?
For me, this internship has been very interesting so far. It really enables me to put the textbook theory into practice. My colleagues share their experience with me every day and it’s very rewarding.
Have you encountered any difficulties?
Of course, at some points. But all the difficulties that I have encountered, whether technical or organisational, have been overcome by approaching my internship manager or my colleagues who are always available when needed. There is a family atmosphere at work.
What have you liked in this internship?
The human contact, being in the field every day and being included and respected as an intern. It’s rare to do an internship in a major group and be considered a valuable individual. All the equipment and clothing needed were provided to me straight away. There are real opportunities for development at ENGIE. I really felt supported when I decided to go back to study.
Mathilde: “I especially liked the atmosphere within my department. ”
“I had the opportunity to do an internship within the Communication & Corporate Social Responsibility department.
Being in a large company, such as ENGIE, enabled me to work on various projects and meet many people from varied backgrounds. I especially liked the atmosphere within my department.
I was able to attend various team meetings and meetings with non-profit organisations and external partners, and do much more. This experience at ENGIE was very beneficial. I am proud to have been one of the UPtimists for a few months!”
From site manager to teacher
ENGIE resolutely opts for dual learning. We teach young people in the workplace the necessary professional qualifications and the right attitude. Actually, we’re already turning them into young UPtimists while they’re still in school. The on-duty teachers? They include these site managers and coordinators, among others. Tommy De cock and Geert Bogaert take stock of a year of dual learning.
“You complement the training course with your own focus area” “The interesting thing about dual learning is that, as a company, we help design the training courses. Explosion safety, for example, is an aspect that is not dealt with at school, even though it is very important in the industrial sector. At the request of some teachers we fill in this gap. So I also taught a bit of theory every week. In addition, those students also learn a lot of additional skills while they’re with us, like dealing with deadlines, taking responsibility for their work, planning their work themselves, etc. This gives them the opportunity to grow into a real work situation.” Tommy De cock – Project manager and mentor to four students
“You have more time to judge whether young people are adequate” “With dual learning, you have more time to judge if that person fits the profile you need to fill. If someone comes to a job interview, you have 30 minutes in which to decide whether to hire them. You only get to know a fraction of that person’s knowledge and attitude.
I am very much in favour of the dual learning formula. Companies even need to go a step further and support schools a lot more.” Geert Bogaert – Area Manager and supervisor of two students
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