Thirteen students and young graduates make up the first year's intake of Bouygues Construction's INTERNational Program. They have come to us from universities, engineering schools and business schools, and they will carry out a variety of assignments in site supervision, financial control, property, development and human resources.

Whether as interns or in the framework of the French International Volunteer Programme, they will enjoy the unique experience of taking part in such extraordinary projects as constructing a high voltage power line in Mozambique, a cancer centre in Trinidad & Tobago or the bridge that will link Hong Kong with Zhuhai and Macao.

Jean-Manuel Soussan, HR Director of Bouygues Construction, said: "We are delighted to be able to give these young people the chance to join our teams and appreciate for the diversity of our projects around the world at a time when mobility and international experience are essential."

The aim of the INTERNational Program, which is the first "graduate programme" organised by Bouygues Construction, is to allow young people to find out for themselves about the challenges entailed in working abroad and to reveal young talents within the Group's seven entities.

Benoît Forest, University Relations and Employer Brand Manager, explained: "Requests for international internships exceed the capacity of our subsidiaries to accept interns, and so we needed to offer as many people as possible the chance to take part in a dedicated selection process."

For the first year of the programme, around 400 students and young graduates volunteered to take part. Thirteen of them were chosen as a result of a fair and innovative selection process, one feature of which was the production of a CV in the form of an off-beat video.

During the launch evening, held on April 1, all the participants had the opportunity to forge links with others taking part in the adventure, relationships they will be able to maintain through social media. Jérémie Peronnet, who will be going to Switzerland, added: "This evening was a bit like the first day at school for us, it was important to be there before we all head off to our various destinations."

With operations on every continent, Bouygues Construction records approximately half of its annual sales in international business. The Group places international mobility at the heart of its development strategy in order to ensure that both its values and its technical expertise are transmitted to every location where it is active.