Leopold Cohen and Laurent Michel are both forty year-old engineers from the business world. In 2004, they decided to bank on training engineer-managers by setting up Groupe 4 in partnership with a business network. Today the group has 5 Education Centers [1] training engineer-managers in computer and multimedia skills, among others.
The profile of IT language experts has changed substantially. Of, course they must be familiar with the technologies but they must also be able to manage, frame and monitor projects, not to mention explain the issues and limitations of an information system to people who do not have a background in technology. This is also true in the multimedia industry that has a skyrocketing demand for versatile professionals and where there is also a need for Product or Product Managers who are as proficient in production techniques as they are in understanding marketing strategy.
This is explains why Groupe 4 came up with the idea of the engineer-manager. "Our centers have been the first to offer courses meeting the need for twofold skills, a now dominant trend on the job market," said Laurent Michel. He also pointed out that the courses are based on "original and coherent teaching methods alternating with corporate internships." Alternating between studies and internships means something at Groupe 4 as it is the keystone of the courses it provides. The next stage for Groupe 4, which is based in Marseilles (PACA, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Region), is setting up another course in Lyons at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year.
[1] The 5 Education Centers of Groupe 4: - 4IM, The IT Engineering Center - SMP, The Project Manager Center - 4MM, The Multimedia Engineering Center - 4AM, The Operational Project Manager Center - Oplone, The Professional Ongoing Education Center
