The rain finally stops, the sun takes its place in the Paris sky; it is 11:58 a.m. on Tuesday 5 June 2018 when the 14 students of Digital Campus's intensive fast-track refresher Bachelor's programme , followed by their classmates from IESA Multimédia and EM Lyon, set foot on the cobblestones of the Ministry of Labour's courtyard, at 127 rue de Grenelle. The time has come to present their app projects on the Personal Training Account (CPF) before Minister Muriel Pénicaud. (The article on the selections here)

12:15 p.m., we are welcomed in the Ministry's lobby by Estelle Sauvat, High Commissioner for Skills Transformation, joined by Catherine Favre, Member of the National Assembly (2nd constituency of the Gironde) and Rapporteur on the bill “on the freedom to choose one's professional future” for the training and apprenticeship sections.

12:20 p.m., alongside our partners from the FFP (French Federation of Professional Training), we are all invited to head up to the first floor, into a small 18th-century salon fitted out for the occasion. The tone is set—a podium and a blue backdrop, presidential decor—watch out, the tension is rising. But the DC students are ready, and they know this tension is a good thing.

12:35 p.m.: the Minister arrives

Here we go! Two full hours dedicated to the students and their projects:

  • 1 hour of presentations, with the three Digital Campus teams from Lyon, Rennes and Montpellier taking turns.
  • 1 hour of lunch and privileged exchanges in the Ministry's salons.
Muriel Pénicaud, paying close attention to the presentations—a true geek and UX tester—confirmed that the students' work fully matched what she had envisioned barely a year earlier when she launched this idea of a CPF app. At times even somewhat impressed by the students' proposals, the Minister readily expressed her reactions, ranging from astonishment and satisfaction to a few moments of complicity and shared laughter. Between pride and a sense of dreaming, for all the students, who are between 19 and 25 years old, this unique experience was felt as a wonderful gift. The Minister offered to invite the students to soon meet the State Startups that are now taking over the production of the app. Deliverables in 12 months. To be continued!
“Minister, it was an immense honour for our three schools—Digital Campus, IESA Multimédia, schools of the Studialis Galileo Group, and EM Lyon—to be received at the Ministry of Labour. This Hackathon Challenge project on the topic of the CPF, led by our partner the FFP together with Digital Village, was a success far beyond our expectations among our students. Aware of the importance of learning and training throughout life, the students took on this task of creating a CPF app with ardour, creativity, sensitivity, high standards and professionalism. Our programmes, based on active learning, immerse them in a professional reality that takes shape both through the completion of real projects and through company placements throughout their studies. Thank you, Minister, for offering to meet them; for them and for us, that is the best reward and the finest recognition.”
The winning team of the Hackathon, Digital Campus Montpellier, was received the following day by the President of the Republic's Social Adviser, Pierre-André Imbert, at the Élysée Palace. To conclude this incredible journey through the highest institutions of the Republic, here are the Adviser's closing words to the students: “Bravo, a great initiative, this is fine work! It makes me optimistic about this app going live in a year!”