The New Schoolmasters

How a generation of French entrepreneurs is transforming education with their own hands

Pieric Brenier stares at the screens in his office. The CEO of the Koesio group (formerly C'Pro) — specialized in IT solutions for businesses — has just launched his own work-study training program.

"Recruiting salespeople in IT trades was clearly problematic," explains the leader according to our research. "We could wait for things to sort themselves out, or take matters into our own hands."

Brenier chose the second option. Like about ten other French entrepreneurs who, in recent years, have decided to no longer suffer the shortcomings of the education system. They are creating their own training structures.

The Company-School According to Brenier

Koesio Business School operates in partnership with the Valence Business School to deliver a recognized Bachelor's degree. Work-study training, Bac+3 / Bac+5 level, with "possibility of a permanent contract with Koesio" according to the official website.

The model combines theoretical courses and direct professional experience within the company. Students alternate academic training and company immersion, discovering Koesio's products, clients and corporate culture.

The approach testifies to a "tailor-made" training strategy where the company secures its recruitment pipeline by training its own future employees.

The Charlès Empire

Six hundred kilometers away, in the offices of Vélizy-Villacoublay, Bernard Charlès is developing a different strategy. The president of Dassault Systèmes — €5.27 billion in revenue, 23,000 employees — is not creating a school. He is transforming them from the inside.

"We must harmonize products, nature and life in service of the citizen, the patient and the consumer," declares the former student of the École normale supérieure de Cachan, member of the Académie des Technologies.

Charlès multiplies partnerships. ESTIA, the engineering school in Bidart, becomes a "3D Experience center of excellence." Students work directly on Dassault software, supervised by company teams.

"The industry of the future is being built now," Charlès hammers during his conferences in partner schools. "We are transforming industrial practice through virtual universes."

The Gaming School

Yves Guillemot develops Ubisoft's educational partnerships. The founder of the company — €2.3 billion in revenue, creator of Assassin's Creed — multiplies collaborations with schools specialized in video games.

"Schools have evolved a lot; we can now create very high-level video games in France," Guillemot told Le Monde in 2017.

Ubisoft develops educational programs to stimulate STEM learning and encourage game design initiation. Projects such as "Youth Fusion" in Quebec, partnerships with various specialized schools: the company invests massively in the training ecosystem.

"The key to success in this business is to have enduring brands," the leader explained. Training future developers means securing the future of these brands.

The Marseille Laboratory

In Marseille, CMA CGM develops its own internal training initiatives for its 23,000 employees. The maritime transport giant invests in training its teams on the new challenges of the sector.

The group's training strategy aims to prepare teams for the "environmental, technological, geopolitical and economic challenges" transforming the maritime industry, according to the company's official communications.

The approach illustrates how large industrial groups are increasingly internalizing their training, rather than relying solely on external offerings.

Deep Motivations

These entrepreneurs share a common frustration with the gaps in the traditional education system. "The French education system no longer trains for today's jobs," observe several interviewed leaders.

Studies on guidance reveal dysfunctions: a significant portion of young people express regrets about their post-baccalaureate choices, testifying to an orientation system with room for improvement.

"Entrepreneurship education is still very little present in French schools and universities," confirms Alain Fayolle, professor at EM Lyon and entrepreneurship expert.

Transmission as a Driver

For these fifty-something bosses, creating a school also responds to a personal need. "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops," Brenier readily quotes.

Bernard Charlès, 65, evokes his desire to "create sustainable innovations." Yves Guillemot, 64, speaks of "transmitting the passion for French video games."

"It is a legacy," confides a Lyon entrepreneur who prefers to remain anonymous. "My company may disappear. The school I created, on the other hand, will still be training young people in twenty years."

The Network Effect

These entrepreneur schools create their own networks of influence. The HEC Entrepreneurship Hub brings together "more than 5,000 members worldwide" and develops six specialized professional clubs.

The "Entrepreneuriales INSA" mobilize "local and national economic partners." The X-HEC Entrepreneurs Master's proudly displays: "75% of graduates create their company," with "more than 500 companies created" since 2018.

"These networks are becoming more powerful than traditional alumni networks," observes an education consultant. "They mix training, financing and business."

New Pedagogies

École 42, free and without teachers, operates on "peer-learning." Students evaluate each other, work on concrete projects. "True innovation is born when students do not ask permission to create," proclaims Epitech, which claims the same philosophy.

These methods are seductive. École 42 counts 57 campuses in 32 countries, 18,000 students. Epitech is among the French schools that train the most startup founders integrated into Y Combinator, the prestigious American accelerator.

"The objective is not to fill a bucket, but to light a fire," summarizes a pedagogical manager. This approach develops the "agility, collaboration and resourcefulness" sought by companies.

The Social Ecosystem

Other entrepreneurs target societal impact. The makesense entrepreneurs school trains for free in social and environmental impact projects. Financed by European funds and patronage, it supports project leaders "who want to change the world."

Simplon, a social impact training organization, wants to "make digital skills and trades accessible to everyone." Its programs target people far from employment.

The Fédération Nationale des Écoles de Production (FNEP) supports schools that train young people who have dropped out of school through a "pedagogy of meaning."

New Business Models

These schools also innovate economically. Tuition fees, work-study programs, apprenticeship tax, patronage: sources of financing are diversifying.

"A school becomes a strategic asset that improves brand notoriety and reputation," explains an expert in educational communication. "It is an investment in durable reputational capital."

Xavier Niel's École 42, qualified as the "best coding school in the world" by CodinGame, reinforces its founder's image as a disruptor. Present in 31 countries, it becomes an ambassador of "French Tech."

The Future of French Education

This movement is redrawing the map of French higher education. Companies are no longer mere users of graduates, but participate directly in their training.

"We are shaping new ecosystems and redefining the relationships between company, training and employment," analyzes a report on educational innovation.

One question remains: can these initiatives transform the national education system, or do they simply create an elitist alternative?

The 16% of 15-24-year-olds who are non-students and unemployed await the answer. The entrepreneurs, for their part, are already training the workforce of tomorrow.

How Mentivis Turns Your Idea Into a School

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Result: your school, your brand, your community. With Mentivis, you become a recognized actor in education.

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