They’re moving: 18 secondary school girls get a taste of the world of railways
On 26 March, ETF was delighted to welcome 18 secondary school pupils from Collège Montesquieu in Beauchamp. Located directly opposite their school, the ETF site was transformed for the day into a real-life discovery centre for careers in the rail industry, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of our ‘Elles Bougent’ mentors.
Why this day? To remove the barriers to women entering technical professions
The rail sector is full of careers with a bright future: site manager, design engineer, rolling stock technician, machine operator… Yet women are still under-represented in these roles.
What is the aim of this event? To show that the rail industry is open to everyone, to spark an interest among young secondary school girls in technical and industrial careers that are still relatively unknown, and to inspire future careers in the sector.
A morning filled with discovery and conversation
The day began with an interactive presentation on ETF: its scope of work, areas of expertise, infrastructure and future prospects. Through videos and fun quizzes, the secondary school pupils were able to actively discover how a railway construction company operates.
The young women took part in career workshops led by our mentors. They shared their career journeys and what their day-to-day work is like, whether in design offices, in the rolling stock department, in support services or on construction sites. These accounts sparked numerous questions and genuine enthusiasm, confirming the vital impact that role models have on young women.
An afternoon of hands-on experience in the field
The schoolgirls put on their personal protective equipment (PPE) and were able to appreciate the impressive size of railway machinery by climbing aboard a rail-road excavator used on construction sites. This experience gave them a better understanding of visibility constraints and the major safety issues associated with railway works.
The tour then continued to the rolling stock depot and the maintenance workshop. The schoolgirls also had the opportunity to climb aboard a locomotive, an experience that sparked a keen interest in careers in train driving and rolling stock.
The day concluded with a virtual reality experience. Thanks to this immersive experience, the secondary school pupils found themselves transported to a railway construction site and were able to discover, in an innovative way, the day-to-day lives of the teams working on the ground.
Inspired secondary school girls, keen to return
At the end of the day, the 18 participants left feeling enthusiastic, with some even saying they wanted to come back the very next day.
ETF is proud to have contributed to this initiative alongside the Elles Bougent charity and looks forward to repeating this type of initiative. Beyond this single day, this commitment is fully in line with ETF’s CSR approach, which promotes diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion.