When Universities and Companies join forces for the sake of training to build a win-win (immersive) partnership – Part 1

Today, despite the impact of the health crisis, the education sector and the professional sector are growing closer together. Internships, work-study programs, apprenticeships, “live my life” programs… Students are now involved in the field at the heart of professional life, creating a virtuous circle. But how can this be ensured in these uncertain times? This is the story of the partnership between the Stellantis (formerly PSA) Vesoul site and the Logistics and Transport Management (GLT) department at the University of Franche-Comté.

For several years now, students at the Vesoul University Institute of Technology (IUT) have had the opportunity to discover their future professional environment through various school-business partnerships as part of tutored projects. To continue in this direction, the Besançon Vesoul University Institute of Technology has taken a chance on Virtual Immersion with the Stellantis Vesoul site, the heart of the group’s international logistics, with no fewer than 3,000 employees.

Enabling students to develop their skills in field knowledge and procedures, teaching methods, and customer relations

The students worked closely with on-site experts to create a set of immersive modules to digitize the Safety and Quality training for new hires and make it more engaging than the tools that existed before.

Through the testimony of Catherine Gérardin, Head of the GLT Department at the Besançon-Vesoul University Institute of Technology, and feedback from Mathieu, a student on the bachelor’s degree program, discover how this win-win partnership enables students to discover the reality of the professional world and project management.

“The transport and logistics professions are changing enormously. One of the recurring developments is the presence of digital technology in these professions. That’s why we have developed several areas of focus at the IUT to integrate new technologies into our teaching and tutored projects,” explains Catherine Gérardin.

During a creative workshop between students and companies, the IUT proposed the topic of Virtual Reality: “Stellantis Vesoul immediately jumped on board, as it is already a partner of the IUT through other initiatives and was already familiar with Uptale technology.”

It quickly became obvious that this would be a great idea for new hires at the Vesoul logistics site. “The goal was to make this training more attractive and engaging, and that’s where we found a good synergy, by making the students the project leaders. They had to successfully set up a Virtual Reality tool used by real professionals,” explains Catherine Gérardin.

These immersive experiences will also be used for new students in the GLT department, to immerse them in their future environment right from the start of their university career. The IUT will also use them during open days and trade fairs: “It’s both relevant and rewarding to showcase the sector and the professions. It’s a first step in capturing the interest of future candidates who would like to return to the sector. ” adds Catherine.

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“The professors and students immediately embraced the innovative aspect of Immersive Learning. My fear, of course, was that the result would not live up to our expectations, especially when working with a professional partner like Stellantis. You can’t deliver an unfinished product. ” says Catherine.

“However, the result is more than satisfactory and we will continue to do this with other students. The feedback from Stellantis Vesoul is also very positive. They are delighted with the result and still have plenty of topics to propose in other areas, but I think we will also be able to find other partners and other interested companies.”

Catherine adds: “Beyond the innovative aspect, it’s really the opportunity to immerse yourself in the company and be able to answer the questions and issues that a professional might have when they arrive in this environment and that the students have acquired.” They learned a lot from the fact that the subject takes place in a professional setting.

To learn more, check out the testimonial from Mathieu, a 20-year-old student at the Besançon-Vesoul University Institute of Technology. He tells us about his experience with Uptale and how his working group managed to design immersive experiences for professionals.

“Today we are proud of the result, proud to have successfully met the challenge, and it’s rewarding to know that every newcomer will be trained using our VR modules. We’ve really done something useful for a huge company like Stellantis.”

– Mathieu, student at the Besançon-Vesoul University Institute of Technology