The apprentice speaks out
![](https://interactions.utc.fr/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2022/05/aprentis.jpg)
In 2018, UTC celebrated the 10th anniversary of the apprenticeship training scheme for engineers. One thing is certain, the added value of apprenticeship for the student lies in the professional experience they gain. They arrive on the job market with a wealth of skills and new experience. And with a much stronger sense of confidence. Here is the testimony of Elias Limouni, 22, a computer engineering student.
Why did you choose to follow the apprenticeship course?
I signed up for the apprenticeship scheme in September 2020, after obtaining a DUT in computer science in Amiens. The signing of my contract with OppScience in Paris 9e, following an internship carried out there to obtain the DUT. I chose to study computer engineering because, ever since I was quite young, I was interested in this field, first in cybersecurity, then in robotics, and finally in the field in which I am now working thanks to my sandwich course programme: artificial intelligence or data science. The choice of a sandwich course programme came quite naturally after my DUT internship. Indeed, having discovered the world of the company and what it could offer me, I decided to continue along this path in order to couple the knowledge learned at UTC with the skills developed during the projects in the company.
Is it easy to adapt to the rhythm of a sandwich course and what purpose does this serve?
The sandwich course rhythm at UTC allows us to combine the best of both worlds: approx. five weeks in a company, then five weeks at the school of engineering. This allows us to be fully integrated for several weeks in one of the two worlds without having to disconnect to worry about the second. My apprenticeship master taught me a lot. In addition to the widespread knowledge he gave me in data science, he helped me whenever I faced a difficulty by showing me the different approaches. He explains concepts previously unknown to me in order to achieve the objectives set for the projects in which I participated. Beyond the countless skills acquired, this learning methodology acts as a springboard for integration into the professional world after school. Indeed, with the same diplomas as initial training, the “concrete” experience acquired makes the difference, and therefore makes you much more competitive on the market.
What benefits do you see accruing from this mode of teaching?
The skills acquired in three years of apprenticeship go far beyond what is possible to obtain through internships. Indeed, spending this time and evolving in the same environment, noting how it evolves, and seeing how the company too evolves over the years, allowed me to be much more agile and able to propose useful innovations. I learned a lot through the training I followed in courses at UTC first of all, but also by applying and adapting this knowledge to the business world. This allows me to serenely enter the professional world. The apprenticeship has given me the rigour necessary to understand the problems in industry. I followed methodologies, applied agile dynamics, and used team management tools that will prove useful for the future. Moreover, I learned a lot of concrete notions in artificial intelligence (AI), consolidating the theoretical notions in mathematics and statistics acquired during the course, sometimes even helping me to understand them. Finally, I learned a lot about how a company works, whether it be in terms of hierarchy, services or team management.