Les stages, capteurs et facteurs des transformations d’un champ professionnel : le cas de l’ingénierie de territoire en Rhône-Alpes

Abstract

This article reflects on the interactions between higher education internships and hosting structures in the field of land planning engineering. On the student side, internships are widely acknowledged as an efficient means of professionalization. However, on the hosting structures’ side, the benefits of internships are still insufficiently identified or recognized. Analyzing available data on the objectives and content of the internships makes it possible to better know how professional practices evolve. We assume that this analysis can highlight ongoing and significant evolutions in the field of land planning engineering. Internships can indeed reveal the complexity of the day-to-day practice of land planning engineers as well as current changes regarding topics, procedures, and methods. At the same time, they can be a factor of evolution or facilitator of innovation as they create or intensify relationships with the university. The analysis relies on the data collected by ObsTer - Observatoire des stages en aménagement et développement territorial de la Région Rhône-Alpes - and on surveys and interviews with territorial managers. While it stresses the great diversity of internships’ context, location, objects and tasks, this study shows that internships are actual leverage for change. Perceived as such by the host organization, they are also viewed as facilitating a stronger cooperation with the university and its researchers.

Keywords

• internship
• higher education
• land planning engineering
• Rhone-Alpes region