“This is a highly selective program,” warns Hind Guedira. “For a cohort of about thirty students, we receive 3,000 applications.”
The Peeq Program, or Excellence Program for the Elites of Our Neighborhoods, is free for students and funded by partner companies, which commit both financially and to hosting the young people for internships. These internships provide them with structuring opportunities within large groups, for example in strategy, finance, internal consulting, and sustainable development roles.
The first selection criterion is social background. The program examines the social scholarship level of the candidates, as well as their parents' professions, who often have not pursued higher education. This can include young people from working-class neighborhoods or rural areas.
“But we are not just a social program; we are a program of equal opportunity and excellence,” emphasizes Hind Guedira. “So we look at the academic results of the young people, those who have received honors during their schooling. And beyond all that, what interests us is their ambition. We are looking for young people who have real ambition, a genuine life project.”
“Through Peeq, we try to demonstrate that equal opportunity is not a matter of promises, declarations, or reports, but a matter of access. It’s about giving young people access to career-accelerating opportunities.”
“Then, when we look at society, we realize that the elites of the socio-economic world are quite homogeneous. And for us, a more diverse society is a fairer society where decisions can be made more wisely, because those who decide resemble the rest of the population.”
At the end of Peeq, 92% of the young people report that they found it crucial for their professional development. And 95% felt it helped them in their job search.
“The multiplier effect of the program for us is that the young people also commit in turn. In fact, during the more than 40 weeks of training, we try to offer them activities where they are put in situations to engage. For example, we have a partnership with an association to help dropouts at the 9th grade level in Bobigny. We try to instill these seeds in them, so that in the future, they carry this commitment within the companies where they will be welcomed,” concludes Hind Guedira.
