IN BRIEF – Touring France in an electric car? This is the initiative of Denis Reine and Jérôme Baillargeau, named the CMQe Tour. The two campus directors of Trades and Qualifications of Excellence will travel across France from March 14 to April 4, 2024, each in their vehicle, to lead workshops on electric cars. Around 4,800 km traveled to prove that it can make long journeys. With a stopover in a Grenoble establishment.
It was at the Guynemer high school in Grenoble that the electric vehicle tour de France stopped on Wednesday March 20, 2024. Denis Reine, director of the Lyon Campus of Professions and Qualifications of Excellence, came to talk to the students about electric cars second in the professional Vehicle Maintenance sector. Just like representatives of the Schneider Electric company, the Battery School, the Avere association and the Exxotest brand of the Annecy electronique company.
CAP students in Vehicle Maintenance were also able to play the board game created by the Battery School. © Anouk Dimitriou – Place Gre’net
Students were able to participate in five workshops. The opportunity, for example, to simulate the management of a battery manufacturing factory thanks to a board game offered by the Battery School, a network of schools created in 2022 which offers specialized training in this area.
The Avere association has, for its part, designed a free platform to allow everyone to find out about electric mobility. Funded by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, it offers these courses as part of the Advenir formations project, a national awareness and training program.
Adapt professional training to the needs of companies
The government has committed to no longer producing thermal engines by 2035. To adapt training to business demands, the Professions and Qualifications of Excellence campuses connect entrepreneurs and educational stakeholders. “ Technological evolution is so strong that it is increasingly difficult to meet the needs of businesses », explains Denis Reine.
Denis Reine explaining how his electric car works to two high school students. © Anouk Dimitriou – Place Gre’net
Schneider Electric, which has long been involved in the development of electric vehicles, has, for example, seconded one of its engineers, Michel Burel, to National Education in order to train students as closely as possible to meet its expectations. By creating a bridge with training, the group ensures the qualification of its future workforce. For example, on Wednesday he presented different charging solutions for electric vehicles and addressed the issue of electricity management.
Students with still mixed opinions on the electric car
Could the future of mobility be the electric car? After a week of traveling, Denis Reine is rather satisfied with his experience. “ On a daily basis, I use a thermal car. This is the first time I've driven an electric car for a week, so I'm discovering all the advantages of it. “, he explained.
Which ? Less tiring and more pleasant driving. And this without any recharging problems, he assures. Denis Reine estimates that he only took half an hour longer to travel compared to a thermal car.
Through this intervention, Jean-Pierre Fourniol, deputy director of vocational training at Guynemer high school, hoped to show career prospects in electricity to students. However, the latter are still mixed on this question. “ For the moment, I'm not a big fan of electric, but we'll have to see how things evolve. If there's more than that, we'll have to get started », admitted a second grade student.