During the 4th edition of the Agora des métiers, held on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, at the Auditorium Rainier III, Prince Sovereign Albert II paid a visit to the various stands. He was accompanied by Serge Telle, Minister Mr Patrice Cellario, Government Counselor – Minister of the Interior, Mr Didier Gamerdinger, Government Counselor – Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Msgr Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco, Mrs Isabelle Bonnal, Director of National Education, Youth and Sports, Mr. Stéphane Valeri, President of the National Council, as well as many personalities of the Principality.
Organised by the Department of National Education, Youth and Sports (DENJS), this information day was part of a process of optimising school guidance.
The students were able to share the testimony of representatives of many sectors of activity and trades, on their professional experience.
Nearly 850 high school students met professionals from many sectors of activity, such as education and sport, health and social, science and technology, communication, hospitality, trade, arts and culture, defence and justice, architecture and urbanism as well as building and real estate.
Particular emphasis was placed this year on equal access for men and women to the building and public works trades. Among the novelties, a stand, animated by NGOs of Monaco, allowed informing the students on the professions of the humanitarian and the international solidarity.
To meet the wishes of high school students, conferences were offered for the first time this year. Organised by the Orientation Advisers of schools in the Principality and led by experts and representatives of different sectors of study, these conferences focused on the following topics: university studies, preparatory classes for engineering schools, engineering schools, Bachelor and Master in hotel management, BTS industrial and tertiary, DUT scientific and technical.
At the end of these presentations, the high school students were able to speak with the speakers. This information day is an important step for students in grades 3rd and 1st who arrive at a school level where orientation perspectives must be defined. Thus, to optimise the support of these students and make them fully involved in the construction of their orientation course, the 4th edition of the Agora des Métiers allowed them to identify with precision the link between their academic background. Not to forget the training curriculum, which they can build with full knowledge of the facts.
As part of the Baccalaureate reform, an annual hourly volume of 54 hours is now devoted to answering students’ questions about the continuation of their career path and helping them to finalise their choice of orientation. from the 2nd class.
To this end, three priority areas of action are implemented in the Principality’s high schools:
- Discover the professional world and identify it
- Know the higher education courses and their outlets
- Develop a project of orientation.
In a collaborative and partnership-based approach, built around the particular needs and wishes of each student, the coordination and follow-up of actions and reflection time in the classroom, are provided by a principal teacher, in synergy with the Guidance Counselors. and the team of the National Education Information Center, as well as all the teachers in the class and the teacher-documentalist of the school.
This approach is reinforced by concrete actions on the ground, which can be envisaged throughout the school year, such as individual interview times with the Guidance Counselor, thematic workshops, as well as visits and internships in companies.