La Pépinière: How Séché Environnement Nurtures Its Future Engineers

The Call of the Field

After two years of undergraduate study in mathematics, Theo switched to applied sciences and enrolled in an engineering school in Toulouse, specializing in process engineering.

After completing his studies, he spent nine months on a work-study program at Michelin’s headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, working on projects related to waste heat recovery and industrial recycling. It was a formative experience, but far removed from the field. “It just didn’t feel right, he confides, what I really wanted was a hard hat and boots .” That’s when he came across an ad on LinkedIn from Séché Environnement offering a program with an evocative name: La Pépinière.

La Pépinière: Training Tailored for the Field

The Pépinière program is an initiative of the Séché Environnement group, led more specifically by one of its subsidiaries, Trédi, which specializes in the incineration of hazardous waste. The idea: to recruit young engineering school graduates and dedicate an entire year to training them from the inside on the ins and outs of the trade.

“It’s both training and a job sums up Theo, there’s less immediate pressure to deliver results. The goal isn’t short-term productivity, but sustainable skill development. ”

A total immersion in all aspects of the site

The Pépinière program is characterized by an intense multidisciplinary immersion. In four months, Theo has already visited five hazardous waste incineration lines, each with its own technical specifications. He has been integrated successively into all departments: safety, maintenance, logistics, the laboratory, product acceptance, forklift operator teams...

By working alongside operators, maintenance technicians, and quality managers, Theo is learning to understand the challenges specific to each role and the dynamics of the teams. “It’s an exceptional social opportunity. It opens doors to ask people questions.”

As Theo points out, the key quality in this situation is curiosity : “You have to be interested. You have to get your hands dirty. You have to ask yourself why—and it’s that question that should drive engineers.”

An experienced mentor: the heart of the program

At the center of the Pépinière program is a key figure: the mentor. Theo speaks of him with undisguised admiration. His mentor’s name is Philippe, and he has thirty years of experience in hazardous waste incineration. He isn’t there to supervise from a distance, but to support Theo on a daily basis. This personalized support allows the pace and content of the training to be adapted to each individual’s progress.

“Philippe was able to explain the history, origins, and rationale behind each regulation. It gives it meaning and really helps you retain the information.”

In the field of hazardous waste, regulations are essential and must be fully understood and internalized by operations engineers. They are there to protect the health and safety of employees and preserve the environment.

A clear path to leadership

The Incubator is designed as a springboard to leadership positions. After the first six months of theoretical training and multi-service immersion, Theo is preparing to move on to a new stage: joining teams of operators working five-to-eight-hour shifts as a team leader.

At the end of this on-the-job training, the goal will be to take on a position as an operations manager with solid managerial skills, built on an intimate knowledge of all the site’s operations and genuine legitimacy.