Les Métiers en direct! (Professions Live!) is a programme developed by Onisep, the national agency of career guidance for youth in France. It allows students aged 12 to 18 to connect with professionals working in a wide range of fields through video conferencing technology. The video sessions are live with the professional broadcasting from their workplace, presenting their occupation and the journey they took into it and then responding to questions from students.
Les Métiers en direct: Career talks
Abstract
Resource overview
Website: Les Métiers en direct
Les Métiers en direct was introduced as a national program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which halted face-to-face guidance activities, including the traditional one-week work placement that French students undertake at age 14-15.
Les Métiers en direct is designed to give students realistic insights into different professions by allowing students to interact with people working across a range of industries. Where possible, the volunteer speaker is filmed in their workplace to provide a greater sense of realism and authenticity. Within their presentation, they are encouraged to show students some of the specialist equipment that they use in their work. The speakers also talk about their education and training paths, whether traditional or atypical, in order to show that paths are not always linear and that a wide range of possibilities may exist in securing different work. Typically, schools enrol classes for the event which happen live – though it is possible for students to register independently. The speaker can see the students who ask questions either directly or through a member of the school staff using the chat function. However, they can also send their questions before the meeting by email.
The format of Les Métiers en direct varies by the age of students.
For students aged 12-13 and 13-14, a session lasts 45 minutes and typically includes one speaker who will speak for 10-15 minutes about their occupation and how they secured it. Events are designed to help students broaden their career aspirations.
For students aged 15-18, sessions last 55 minutes and usually involve 2 or 3 speakers. For older students, the career talks have a stronger focus on how specific careers were secured, particularly in relation to the education and training pathways undertaken.
Care is taken to allow students to interact with a wide range of volunteer professionals. Some events are organized in connection with specialized weeks around particular vocational themes, such as working in the media, working in science, or working in sustainable development.
To optimize the impact of the career talks, a “dossier pédagogique” is sent to schools that have registered for an event. It includes materials that allow teachers to prepare students for the event by consulting resources available on Onisep (job descriptions, videos …) including documents to help the development of appropriate questions following a line of approach (e.g. the reality of the work, the choice of apprenticeship, the human’s place in the profession), and that help students to reflect on what they have learned afterward (e.g. the name of the profession, the study tracks, career development).
Description of technology
Les Métiers en direct makes use of video streaming to allow live, interactive Teams sessions. Participants use the chat function to ask questions.
How the resource makes career guidance more effective, efficient and/or equitable for students
Les Métiers en direct was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during which time it was not possible to deliver career guidance face to face. It was developed with experts in distance learning and has been found to be especially useful for schools in more rural areas, including France’s overseas territories where access to a diverse range of professionals to participate in guidance activities is more difficult.
In selecting speakers, it is important to secure volunteers from a wide range of personal backgrounds, including for example women who are underrepresented in their profession.
Challenges or potential barriers to use
Requires internet access and ideally a large screen where students can see the speaker and cameras that allow the speakers to see the students.
The resource is free of cost to practitioners.
Support for users
Users do not require support to use the resource.
Further advice for users
The sessions are not recorded. This is because parental permission would be required to include students in the broadcast. The aim of Les Métiers en direct is to create a trusted atmosphere where all participants can be seen, replicating face-to-face approaches as much as possible.
Additional details
This resource is government supported.
Disclaimer: This content is provided by the submitting organisation.
