Realising the “Grande Ecole” dream

“Cordées de la réussite” (loosely translated as rope ladders to success) was introduced by the government in November 2008 to encourage partnerships between higher education establishments, such as France’s esteemed grande écoles and universities, and high schools in the country’s poorer districts. The aim is to support bright, ambitious students in a variety of ways to help them achieve their goals in higher education.

SKEMA, the result of a merger last year between the Ceram Business School with campuses in Sophia Antipolis and Paris, and the ESC Lille Group, means School of Knowledge, Economy and Management. It is already helping to tutor around 40 motivated students over a two year period to ensure they have the tools and level of education required to apply for France’s grandes écoles (business and administration establishments).

The project with the Lycée Beau Site in Nice is targeted towards students preparing for the next stage (that is pupils in the CPGE-ECT preparatory class). The partnership has already been enthusiastically received by several big companies. ERDF (Électricité Réseau Distribution France) for example has pledged to fund a trip to London, while CARI and the Crédit Agricole bank have promised funding and will also welcome interns. CL