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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September 29 2025
The European Foundry Industry Sentiment Index (FISI) marks a decline in August 2025
The European Foundry Industry Sentiment Index (FISI), published monthly by European Foundry Federation, marked a decrease by 1.5 point in August 2025, reaching a level of 95.1 points.
There was a decline in the production of cast iron castings and castings made of non-ferrous metals. The only material that recorded a positive trend in the last month was cast steel. As for expectations for the coming months, the research indicates a continuation of this trend. However, situation in the European foundry industry is always a reflection of the general economic situation in Europe. Sometimes this happens with a slight delay and recent studies show that the Eurozone in August 2025 recorded the first increase in new orders in 15 months. The Business Climate Index (BCI), published by the European Commission, reached -0.72 in August 2025, compared to the previous reading of -0.71 in July 2025. Economic activity grows for the eighth month in a row. The Eurozone Manufacturing PMI in August 2025 accelerated and reached a level of 50.5, which means an increase by 0.7 point from 49.8 in July 2025. These may be signs of a slow recovery of European economies from a difficult situation. As we look forward to future, hopefully more positive information from the European foundry industry, European Foundry Federation constantly monitors the situation on the European foundry market. _____________________________________________________________ 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 Contact: Witold Dobosz EFF – European Foundry Federation mail: info@eff-eu.org ____________________ |
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