A top school: why not me?

January 25, 2011 Renault’s After-Sales Department signed an agreement today making it a partner for three years (2011-2013) in a program of the French business school ESSEC called “Une Grande Ecole: pourquoi pas moi?” (A top school: why not me?). The After-Sales Department’s involvement in the program will give participating high school students a different picture of the company and a better understanding of its businesses. It will also offer them the possibility of summer jobs.

Promoting more social diversity in higher education

Launched in 2002, the equal opportunities program “Une Grande Ecole: pourquoi pas moi?” puts young people from disadvantaged social and cultural milieux on the path to successful careers by helping them to attend the best institutions of higher learning in France. ESSEC students participate in the program as tutors, aiding students at selected high schools to grow personally and academically during their final three years.

Getting involved in the local community

The Renault After-Sales Department (DAV) has decided to take part in this program to give students in the Val d’Oise département north of Paris – where the DAV has a large automotive parts warehouse – a better picture of what the world of work is like.

DAV staff and its Director, Jacques Daniel, will welcome students for daylong visits to DAV sites. They will also organize tours of the company and participate in lectures to talk about the diversity of professions in after-sales. Some 15 summer jobs will be offered each year at French sites, and a mentoring program will be set up to give support and guidance to students as they pursue their higher education.

This new partnership joins other Renault initiatives regarding social responsability like “Un avenir ensemble” (Building a Future Together) and “L’Ecole de la seconde chance” (School for a Second Chance) aimed at helping young people from disadvantaged milieux to get a good start in their working lives.

Jacques Daniel, After-Sales Director, Renault

“With Thierry Sibieude, Professor & Director of the Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Institute at ESSEC, I am proud that employees of the Renault After-Sales Department can now contribute to this project aimed at promoting diversity. I am certain it will be an opportunity for everyone to exchange ideas and learn new things.”

The Renault After-Sales Department

The department develops and markets services as well as parts and accessories for the Renault group brands. With more than 4,000 employees worldwide, it relies on a broad range of occupations in engineering, logistics, sales and after-sales.