In February, year 8 pupils from Pasteur secondary school in Arbois, France, were given the opportunity to experience a school day like no other thanks to the association De l’or dans les mains. Its "Je découvre les métiers manuels" (Discovering manual trades) programme, supported by the Audemars Piguet Foundation for Common Good since 2023, introduced them to a range of manual trades through immersive workshops run by artisans from the region. The aim was to reconnect young people to their creative abilities, introduce them to professions that are often little-known or undervalued, and enable them to envisage a career in a manual trade with pride and confidence.
Rethinking intelligence
In France, ever since lessons in manual and technical skills were progressively phased out in the 1980s, manual practices have gradually disappeared from the French curriculum. The De l’or dans les mains association wants to reverse this trend. Far from seeing manual work as secondary or reserved for students who are struggling at school, the association believes that these skills complement academic learning.
The French education system, like others in Europe, traditionally values so-called "academic" forms of intelligence: literary, scientific or logical. Practical, physical, artistic or manual skills are often seen as ancillary, or even "last chance", options. This tendency reflects neither the pupils’ diversity of talent nor their aspirations.
In contrast, Scandinavian countries such as Finland, Denmark and Sweden take a broader, more inclusive view of intelligence. Their education systems are notably inspired by the work of psychologist Howard Gardner, who defends the idea of a pluralistic human mind and distinguishes several forms of intelligence: logical-mathematical, linguistic, bodily-kinaesthetic, visual-spatial, musical, interpersonal, and others. When considered from this perspective, manual work, craftsmanship and corporeal expression form an integral part of school activities and are taught on an equal footing with theoretical subjects in a complementary approach. This gentler, more rewarding relationship with "doing" transforms the way pupils relate to school, ensuring that they feel encouraged, legitimate and capable.
This is the spirit that drives the work of De l’or dans les mains, which builds bridges between knowledge and know-how, theory and experimentation. By introducing pupils to passionate artisans, who have been selected not only for their expertise but also for their ability to pass on knowledge, the association is restoring manual trades to their former glory, ensuring that their educational and instructive value receives the recognition it deserves.
Deconstructing and producing
In Arbois, as elsewhere, everything was initiated upstream. The association worked closely with the management team and teachers in place at Pasteur secondary school as well as with the artisans involved to offer the pupils workshops in small groups designed to create a link between a concept on the school curriculum and the manual professions being demonstrated (which totalled about 15).
In the stone- and slate-carving workshop, parallels were drawn with mathematics and geometry, calling on arithmetic, measurements, angles and shapes. Equipped with large rulers and compasses, the pupils methodically applied what they had learnt in class to produce precise and harmonious carvings. To the ubiquitous question, "But when are we ever going to use any of this theory in real life?", these pupils now have the answer! The same applied to the workshop with the stained-glass window artisan, who taught the pupils to cut glass using templates. "Pupils often start out with ambitious ideas, before realising that it’s better to do something smaller, but well. Mastering the gestures gives them confidence," explained Charles.
Meanwhile, Caroline welcomed pupils to her woodturning workshop. A former marketing and communications professional with a university degree in these fields, she decided to give her career new meaning by devoting herself to woodwork. Her inspiring story serves as a springboard for deconstructing gender bias and preconceived ideas: no, you don’t have to be a man to work with wood, and no, she didn’t choose this profession because she lacked intellectual ability. The pupils at Arbois did not share these misconceptions: when asked about this, one class affirmed that, for them, manual trades are not just for people who struggle at school.
At the end of the workshop, each participant left with a spinning top they had crafted themselves. "We managed to make something with our own hands that we can now take home... And that’s really incredible!" gushed one pupil.
In the silk-painting and wool workshop, the watchword was alchemy. Salt and sugar were used to create colour effects, while water and soap transformed wool fibres into felt under the mechanical action of the palm of a hand. As they passed on their gestures to pupils, one artisan talked about the history of silk, while another disclosed what makes natural fibres so special. Both stressed the importance of preserving heritage – whether local or national – by perpetuating craft trades that would otherwise disappear.
While each workshop was different to ensure every pupil found something they liked, all shared two key principles: there are no mistakes, and the devil is in the detail. Patience, precision and repetition of gestures are all valuable qualities that deserve to be fostered, particularly among young people who are used to speed and immediacy. One pupil, who hurried to finish the badge he was making in the illustration workshop only to find he was dissatisfied with the result, gave himself a good talking to: "I need to slow down and apply myself."
Beyond unveiling new professions, highlighting hitherto unexplored abilities and giving certain pupils a confidence boost, these workshops encourage the development of soft skills, which are essential behavioural and interpersonal skills for both the private and professional spheres.
A wider range of possibilities
Each pupil was given a personal binder designed by De l’or dans les mains for collecting job descriptions and recording their experiences. It was also signed to confirm workshop attendance. These binders then go on to serve as tools for reflection, sometimes paving the way for work placements with the same artisans or in the same professional fields.
The "Je découvre les métiers manuels" programme is tailored to both academically bright pupils and those who struggle to find their place in a traditional school setting. It is also being implemented in schools in France’s priority education networks and is helping to change the way families perceive certain manual trades, which are sometimes still frowned upon as career choices.
De l’or dans les mains works with a specialist consultancy firm to identify which trades have the potential to provide jobs in the future, while ensuring that know-how at risk of disappearing can be preserved and passed on.
For the artisans, who are paid to participate, the programme represents both an opportunity to showcase their trade and a small source of additional income. While some struggle to live exclusively from their craft, all express their satisfaction at being able to do something they love and feel fulfilled on a daily basis. For the Audemars Piguet Foundation for Common Good, supporting this programme is also a way of attracting interest in the manual know-how that is at the heart of its own history.
