Translated with DeepL
7 November 2024 will be remembered as a significant day for the Lycée Blaise-Cendrars in La Chaux-de-Fonds. For the first time, the school in Chaux-de-Fonds, known for its literary and artistic education, organised a TecDay in partnership with the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW). This day offered over 500 pupils the opportunity to immerse themselves in technical and scientific disciplines and discover a world of possibilities and the future.
For this special event, the high school opened its doors to enthusiastic speakers from various scientific and technical fields. Students were able to try their hand at various fascinating activities: assembling a clockwork, controlling a robot with legs or building a bridge out of foam sheets. These interactive workshops allowed young people to experience innovation in a concrete and playful way and gave them an insight into the potential that these disciplines can offer.
In Switzerland, technical professions suffer from a shortage of qualified labour, especially women. TecDays aims precisely to open the doors to these careers to young people, with a particular focus on gender mix and equality. Edith Schnapper, Head of Young Talent Development at SATW, emphasises: "The aim of TecDays is to bridge the gap between scientific and technical careers and make them an accessible and attractive option for all young people."
Christophe Stawarz, headmaster of the high school, expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration and recalled the importance of the link between high schools and the economy, which is the strength of the region. "This direct link between students and industry is very valuable. The students are confronted with professional realities that will awaken professions in some of them."
Between playful workshops, passionate exchanges with experts and the discovery of unknown professions, this TecDay showed all its potential to inspire young people. The local media were present to capture this energy and curiosity, underlining the success of this first event in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Find out more about the day's events in the full reports from RTN: Quand le " Blaise-Cendrars " met les mains dans la technique and from Canal Alpha: Sciences et techniques démystifiées à la Tchaux.
This TecDay is just the beginning. Throughout Switzerland, the SATW continues to promote science and technology to young people in the hope that every girl and boy will find their way and dare to dream of a future in science and technology.
