Innovation and training: Orange 5G Lab Toulouse opens its doors to students from Holberton School

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Interview

The Orange 5G Lab in Toulouse recently welcomed students undergoing retraining from Holberton School. This was a unique and practical opportunity for these future software engineers to immerse themselves in the technologies of tomorrow. It was an enriching visit that demonstrates Orange’s commitment to training and promoting the appeal of digital professions.

Can you explain the purpose of this visit and what it means for Orange?

Bruno Pouget – The vision and work of operators are not well known in academic circles. So our goal in welcoming young people who are retraining or in education is to show them our lab and give them a concrete idea of how Orange develops and tests its technologies for the future. It’s also an opportunity to open up career prospects for them in the digital and innovation sector.

What activities or demonstrations were offered during this visit?

Bruno Pouget – We began by reviewing the history of Orange, its organization, and its mission, then we discussed the challenges facing the telecommunications sector. We then focused on market developments, addressing topics such as satellites, APIs, and the cloud. We then visited the showroom and saw a few demonstrations, including La Vitre. The students then discovered the 5G Lab and the API Lab. This gave them the opportunity to see the technologies they had studied in action, including augmented reality, the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity, giving them a concrete idea of the uses of tomorrow.

What was the profile of the students who attended, and how did they react to this learning expedition?

Audrey Cassagnet – Most of our students are retraining, often coming from a variety of backgrounds, motivated by a desire to enter the digital sector. Their reaction was very positive: they were impressed by the maturity of the demonstrations and how these technologies can be applied to concrete projects. It allowed them to make the connection between their background and the jobs of tomorrow.

Testimonials

How does this collaboration benefit your school and Orange?

Audrey Cassagnet – Holberton students, most of whom are enrolled in retraining programs, come from a variety of backgrounds and can combine professional expertise gained from their past careers with their new technical skills.

Recruitment of career changers is growing but remains underdeveloped in some organizations. That’s why we create maximum porosity between the local job market and Holbies throughout the program, with a simple goal: to enrich their tech culture, but also to promote their professional integration through internships or work-study programs during training, then in jobs or assignments after graduation.

By welcoming our students and opening the door to even more concrete collaboration, Orange is demonstrating its openness to less “smooth” profiles whose dual skills, unwavering motivation, and incredible adaptability are major assets!

What are the prospects for continuing this collaboration, and what message would you like to send to schools and students who would like to participate in these visits?

Bruno Pouget – We want to repeat these visits regularly and encourage other schools to come and discover our projects. The idea is to create a real bridge between education and innovation, so that these young people can become part of a dynamic of learning and professional development.