The second chance school was created in January 2017 in Hérouville-Saint-Clair in Normandy. In our training centre, we receive young people from 16 to 29 years old, who dropped out from the mainstream education without any diploma or qualification.

The objective is to offer them an educational pathway so that they get necessary skills, and to enable a sustainable social, civic and professional integration.

Since 2020, the school recrutes 200 trainees per year, that is to say about 17 each month. A large majority of them are from the Calvados department.

At the beginning, each trainee is tested in mathematics, french and digital skills to establish her/his level. Afterwards, an individualised training plan is created to see her/his progress later.

The concept is based on the construction of a professional project, the training in academic skills and the socio-educational workshops during about 8 months. Every month the trainees have to do a 2 or 3 weeks training period in different companies. The trainees get a pay.

The objective for the trainee is to access :

• an apprenticeship contract ;
• a qualification training program (leading to a diploma acquisition) ;
• a job position in a company.

At the end of the course, a certificate of acquired skills is given to the trainee, as well as his/her "pro book" (portfolio of skills).

The school is organised around five departments :

• The support and recruitment department: recruitment of the trainees, support for trainees to find solutions to social problems (mobility, health, housing, etc.) in partnership with local associations and institutions.
• The pedagogical department: academic and soft skills training, culture and citizenship, construction of the professional project, pedagogical and collective project management and training periods assessments.
• The company relationships department: development of partnerships with companies and training organizations, construction of the professional project with the trainers, work experience assessment, support for the trainees in preparing a job interview and getting a contract in a company, assuring the permanent link between trainees, trainers and professional partners.
• The digital department: Fight to reduce the digital divide.
• The management department: application and respect of the rules of the training centre for all the public and employees and support for the team in various projects.

The Second chance school of Normandy (E2C Normandie) is a part of a national network (53 « schools » and 135 sites).

The work carried out during this STREET ART project will enable the trainers with new skills in order to set up further educational projects with different trainees groups. This will help us accompany the young people in social skills acquisition (creativity, self-confidence and social integration).

With the Street Art project, we will also work in collaboration with a graffiti artist to train the trainees in various graffiti techniques and to create a fresco for our training centre.