Renault, a partner of “course en cours”, will host the national final at the Technocentre

• Renault’s Technocentre near Paris will host 25 teams of middle- and high-school students from across France tomorrow Wednesday May 25.
  
• After winning the regional competitions of the “Course en Cours” contest, the 150 students will now compete for a podium finish in the national final.

Discover sciences in a fun and educational way

Course en Cours, launched in 2006, is an initiative supported by Renault and Dassault Systèmes that builds bridges between schools, academia and companies. Distinguished on numerous occasions, the competition was included in the French education ministry’s “Science and Technology at School” plan on January 31, 2011, fully legitimizing the important role it plays in developing young people’s taste for science and technology subjects at school.

Competing teams of middle- and high-school students, with support from teachers and tutor-students, design and manufacture a mini-racing car in scale 1:14. The year-long project concludes with contestants racing their vehicles on a straight-line, 20-metre track. To win, the team has to combine the technical performance of its vehicle with eco-design and a real team project that is presented orally to a jury of professionals.

Explore the world of business

Renault plans to hire more than 1,500 employees in 2011, including numerous young graduates in a broad range of professions. The company also plans to step up its policy of work-study programs to 4% of young people by the end of the year. Renault’s dynamic policy with young people is reflected in its full support for Course en Cours, which can stimulate professional vocations and provides students with initial contact with companies and the basics of how they work.