The 17^th Bouygues Construction Challenge ended on Thursday, 28 November, with victory for a team made up 
of students from Audencia, Dauphine, ENPC, EPF, Esigelec and ESTP. This business competition, which is unique in the construction and public works sector, brought together 72 students over two days from around thirty schools and universities in four countries (France, Czech Republic, Burkina Faso and Morocco). 50% of the participants were women, the highest level the competition has ever seen. 

Grouped into multi-skilled teams (finance/commerce/management and engineers), the students were presented with a real-life project management case study such as they would encounter during a tendering process, and then were asked to put forward their proposals in a presentation to a panel made up of decision-makers from the Group. 

For this year's Challenge, sponsored by subsidiaries Bouygues Travaux Publics and DTP Terrassement, the case studied was the Nîmes-Montpellier rail bypass, a contract signed by the Group last year, work on which is currently getting under way. After a marathon competition, and after defending their project to the panel of Group managers, training professionals and project partners, the students were assessed on the basis of their team spirit, their competitive nature, their ingenuity, their time management and their ability to negotiate. 

This year, for the first time, a half-day was devoted to workshops run by human resources specialists, intended to provide these future graduates with guidance to help them with their job-hunting. They were given advice on successful interview technique and on e-reputation, and they were coached in performing teamwork. 

Another new feature this year was an interactive contest: the students were asked to promote the Challenge on Facebook and Twitter (#DefiBouygues_C) throughout the whole period of the event. A prize was awarded to the team with the biggest presence on the social networks. This operation resulted in roughly a hundred posts and tweets being generated. The Bouygues Construction Campus page recorded more than 10,000 views thanks to these young reporters. 

Jean-Manuel Soussan, Human Resources Director of Bouygues Construction, said: "The Bouygues Construction Challenge gives students a unique opportunity to take part in a wonderful human experience and to make their first contact with our Group. It's a highlight in the life of Bouygues Construction, which hires around one thousand recent graduates every year." 

Created in 1997 to build stronger links between the student and professional worlds, the Bouygues Construction Challenge helps students discover the wide range of professional disciplines within the world of construction and public works and services. It is a recruitment tool that makes it possible to offer the most promising candidates internships, international work experience volunteer assignments and permanent positions at the end of the competition. Since its creation, more than 850 students have taken part, more than 40% of whom have joined Bouygues Construction for an internship, international volunteer assignment or full-time position, in support roles or in production activities. 

Recruitments at Bouygues Construction include personnel profiles of all kinds, involving young graduates or those who already have professional experience, and a wide range of positions (commercial, technical, design, costing, etc.). The Group's principal needs are in works management, engineering, posts for technicians and those who work in the technical trades of mechanical and electrical engineering. All the Group's job offers can be consulted at http://www.carrieres.bouygues-construction.com/.