The candidates, who have been selected by their teachers on the basis of the quality of their work prior to the competition, are evaluated through various tests relevant to official school curricula. These tests are however longer and more demanding than the usual school leaving certificate tests.
In 2016, the young candidate could compete in 48 fields (30 for the upper secondary high school open competition and 18 for the technological and vocational education open competition). 17,372 nominees tool part to the tests this year, in France and abroad.
The contest aims at honouring outstanding students and underlining the excellency of their work, as it can set a shining example for all students. It is open to students during the two last years of upper secondary education coming from public or state-agreed private schools, to graduating students coming from professional and vocational public or state-agreed private schools, as well as to graduating apprentices attending apprentice training centers.
Want to learn more about this contest? We kindly invite you to visit the website of the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research:
Each year, several schools preparing students to casting careers suggest candidates, who were selected by their teachers beforehand. After running first tests, only the most outstanding students can perform in the final competition, which is organized by a different school from one year to the next.
The 2016 Awards Ceremony was held in the Sorbonne’s grand amphitheatre, in Paris, in attendance of the French Minister for Education, Higher Education and Research, Mrs. Najat Vallaud Belkacem, who congratulated the laureates and awarded them their prizes. In return, she was presented with the part executed by the students during the final competition.
The Fédération Forge Fonderie, which fully supports the competition, pays tribute to these brilliant young professionals each year in September with an awarding ceremony organized during the graduation ceremony at the Ecole Supérieure de Fonderie et de Forge (ESFF).
Watch a video reportage about the 2012 edition: "Concours Général 2012: un lycéen ardennais 1er au Concours Général"
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November 3 2025
The European Foundry Industry Sentiment Index (FISI) with a slight decrease in September 2025
The European Foundry Industry Sentiment Index (FISI), published monthly by European Foundry Federation, decreased by 0.4 point in September 2025, reaching a level of 94.7 points.
It is worth mentioning that in September 2025 there was a noticeable increase in the trend in the production of cast iron, steel and non-ferrous metal castings, compared to the value of August 2025. However, the general value of the indicator was influenced by the slightly pessimistic expectations of the surveyed foundries as to the forecasts for the coming months.    Trends in the production of castings are a litmus test of the general situation of the industry in Europe. The reduction in production related to the decline in orders is noticeable in almost all EU countries. Geopolitical uncertainty, implemented tariffs on imported raw materials, electricity prices are factors that have a huge impact on the current picture of the European foundry industry. Taking into account other macroeconomic indicators, it should be mentioned that the Business Climate Index (BCI), published by the European Commission, reached a level of -0.73 in September 2025, compared to the previous reading of -0.72 in August 2025. The Eurozone Manufacturing PMI in September 2025 decreased by 0.7 point from the level of 50.5 in August 2025 and reached a level of 49.8 point. . The European Foundry Federation, which brings together 23 national foundry associations and foundry chambers of commerce from 22 European countries, monitors the situation of the industry on an ongoing basis. _____________________________________________________________ The FISI – European Foundry Industry Sentiment Indicator – is the earliest available composite indicator providing information on the European foundry industry performance. It is published by EFF every month and is based on survey responses of the European foundry industry. The EFF members are asked to give their assessment of the current business situation in the foundry sector and their expectations for the next six months. The BCI – Business Climate Indicator – is an indicator published by the European Commission. The BCI evaluates development conditions of the manufacturing sector in the euro area every month and uses five balances of opinion from industry survey: production trends, order books, export order books, stocks and production expectations. Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) - in the Euro area is an indicator of the economic health of the manufacturing sector. It is based on such indicators as: new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier deliveries and the employment environment. Please find the chart enclosed or combined with additional information at eff-eu.org/. Background information on EFF: EFF is the umbrella organisation of the national European foundry associations. The organisation, founded in 1953, has 22 European member states and works to promote the economical, technical, legal and social interests of the European foundry industry. At the same time, EFF implements activities which aim at developing national foundry industries and co-ordinating their shared international interests. The General Secretariat is situated in Düsseldorf since 1997. EFF represents 4 400 European foundries. Nearly 260 000 employees are generating a turnover of 39 billion Euro. European foundries are recruiting 20 000 workers and engineers per year. The main customer industries are e.g. the automotive, the general engineering and the building industries as well as the electrical engineering industry. No industrial sector exists without using casted components. Further information at eff-eu.org/ and LinkedIn EFF. EFF – European Foundry Federation mail: info@eff-eu.org ________________________________________ |
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