Apprentice status

Since 2009, the ENGEES engineering degree can be completed through an apprenticeship.

During the 3 years of study at the ENGEES engineering school, the apprentice alternates periods of teaching at the school with professional periods in a company. The course provides the same core academic knowledge as the student status programme. The engineering students form a single class, and have many courses in common.

Doing an apprenticeship is a guarantee that you will be able to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge you learn at school directly in a practical, professional setting.

Apprentices follow the same curriculum as students or civil servants. 

See the course programme

Apprentices who want to do their apprenticeship in a company in the waste sector have a specially adapted programme, with teaching units covering the subject from the first year onwards. 

Find out more about the ‘Waste’ programme on a sandwich course

Recruitment by the company

As with any engineering school offering a sandwich course, candidates admitted to the school must sign an apprenticeship contract in order to join the training definitively. ENGEES will advise them on how to go about finding a company, with particular emphasis on writing a CV and covering letter and on interview techniques, and will help them with follow-up.

It is also possible to find a German host company while still studying at ENGEES. 

Apprenticeship schedule

The course will begin with a 2-month full-time period at the school, during which the apprentices will follow the basic courses alongside students on conventional initial training courses.

The apprentices will then begin a 2-week sandwich course. Apprentices will work full-time in the company during the 2 summer months.
Finally, the 3rd year will end with a 10-month full-time period in the company, corresponding to the final year's work.

Students will spend a total of 53 weeks at school and 82 weeks at work over the 3 years. It should be noted that under the apprenticeship contract, apprentices, like all employees, will benefit from 5 weeks' holiday per year.

Tutoring

Each apprentice will be monitored in two ways:

The school tutor:

Within the school, each apprentice is supervised by a tutor who may follow 2 or 3 apprentices throughout their training (i.e. 3 years).

The school tutor's role is to ensure that the apprentice's academic training runs smoothly, as well as the in-company work placements. He/she is the link between the school, the apprentice and the apprenticeship supervisor (i.e. the company). He/she monitors the apprentice's academic and professional progress and ensures that the apprentice acquires the expected knowledge and skills.

He/she meets with the apprenticeship supervisor at least once a year and can arrange more frequent meetings if necessary. He/she is the apprentice's contact within the school for all matters relating to the pedagogical aspect of the training.

The apprenticeship supervisor:

The apprenticeship supervisor is the apprentice's contact within the company for all 3 years of the ENGEES sandwich course.

‘The student must be supervised by an apprentice master (or by a tutorial team, see details below). This person is either the head of the company or one of the company's employees. Their role is to help the apprentice acquire the skills required to obtain the qualification or diploma being prepared for, in conjunction with the CFA (apprentice training centre). The maximum number of apprentices or students in preparatory classes for apprenticeship who can be accommodated simultaneously in a company or establishment is set at two for each apprentice master.

The tutoring function may be shared between several employees, forming a tutoring team within which a ‘referent apprenticeship tutor’ will be appointed to coordinate the team and liaise with the CFA.

Sources of information on the apprenticeship contract:

Ministry of Labour, Social Relations, the Family and Solidarity
Ministry of Education
CARIF Alsace
OREF Alsace
CCI Strasbourg - Bas-Rhin
Alsace Chamber of Trades

Cross-border apprenticeships

ENGEES' privileged location in Strasbourg facilitates cross-border exchanges. It is easy for apprentice engineering students to do their apprenticeship in a neighbouring country. 

Cross-border apprenticeships

Students with student status may also decide to complete their 3rd and final year at ENGEES on a sandwich course via a professional training contract.

The choice is made during the 2nd year. One condition for admission under the professionalisation contract is that the compulsory international exchange must have taken place before the third year.