As part of the deployment of its international policy, Centrale Lille is particularly attentive to the quality of its study environment and the integration of international students and researchers.

In this context, one of the components in the establishment’s strategic 2021-2022 roadmap is to offer an intensive English training programme for administrative and technical staff in order to accommodate the establishment’s increasingly international dimension. This programme is complementary to the English sessions organised during lunchtime, which shall continue.

This 9-month programme, organised by an external training provider, is focused on three areas:

  • Individual monitoring by coach, which will help with organising training time, access to resources and monitoring individual progress;
  • Unlimited 24/7 access to an online resources platform, allowing users to view short video clips on various topics, including the professional environment, and to perform oral comprehension, vocabulary and pronunciation exercises. A system of experience points is implemented to measure progress.
  • 30-minute courses by phone for individual trainees, or by videoconference for an unlimited number of trainees, with content adapted to the needs of the learner(s): oral practice, grammar, vocabulary, etc.

This programme was presented to those interested in order to discuss how the training could fit in with work time. Investment in learning is necessary in order to achieve the progress objective set. It was decided that staff following the programme could devote the equivalent of 1.5 hours of their weekly working time to this training action. This length of time can be adjusted from one week to another according to staff needs and activity peaks.

At the same time, personal work is required to support the learning.

In order to measure progress, an assessment of the level will be made at the start of the programme and then upon completion. In the event of significant progress made, an external certification may be proposed to promote this progress.

Finally, a collective assessment will be carried out to determine whether the programme is to be renewed.

To date, 35 people will start the programme.