The Platform is a partner of Make The Choice, a program of the UPE 13 to help 15 project leaders to create their company through personalized support, coaching and 4 months of incubation in a company .

Criteria for registration:
- Be between 18-30 years old
- Live in the Bouches-du-Rhône
- Have a business project 

At the end of the day:
- A coach just for you!
- 2 days of exploration to boost your project.
- Masterclasses with inspiring personalities.
- 4 months of incubation in a company to launch your project.
- 1 year membership to Upe 13 to discover your network. 

And lots of other surprises! 

The deadline for applications is May 20, 2021. 

1/ Hello Sarah, could you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Sarah Jean-Gilles, I am 25 years old and I am originally from Martinique.
I am a sportswoman, I practice handball in competition since I was 9 years old.

Concerning my academic background, at the age of 21, I left my native island to pursue my studies in biology.
I entered a master's degree in biology and health at the University of Cergy-Pontoise because my ambition was to work in the research sector. After a very interesting internship in the Inserm U1026 Biotis laboratory specialized in tissue engineering, I realized that I wanted to contribute to innovation in Health and more specifically in the field of medical devices.

In order to enrich my engineering skills, I thus reoriented myself towards the Master in Sciences and Numerical for Health (specialization in Engineering of devices for Health) at the University of Montpellier. 

New training, new city, new challenges! Multidisciplinary, I now have many skills that give me an original vision of engineering in health. 

Freshly graduated, I took the the decision to anticipate the hiring shortage symptomatic of the health crisis; to take advantage of this complicated year to maximize my skills until the situation calms down.

So I got interested in CentraleDigitalLabLaPlateforme_, a one-year training course co-taught by Ecole Centrale de Marseille and La Plateforme_, whose description had been shared by the person in charge of my master. 

Seduced by the teaching modules offered, particularly in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis, I applied even before I graduated. 

2/ How did this new adventure come about and why did you choose the Platform?

So I joined the CentraleDigital@LabLaPlateforme_ 2020-21 class last September. After five weeks of intensive classes, I started working on a first project while I was just discovering the basics of programming. 

Despite my great capacity to adapt, I had to face the facts: a month and a half to integrate so many new notions was not enough. 

So I made the decision in December to switch to the IA School on the recommendation of one of the course leaders. 

Even if at the beginning, I experienced this reorientation as a failure, with hindsight, I have no regrets. I am fulfilled because I evolve at my own pace and the active pedagogy makes me very independent in my learning. I learned a lot in seven months and I acquired a lot of skills. 

3/ Can you tell us about the projects you have realized? 

I realized many projects mobilizing several skills: an algorithm able to solve a sudoku, to implement a system able to predict the price of a car according to different characteristics (year of manufacture, mileage, fuel, transmission mode, ...), a tool able to diagnose the cardiovascular risk of an individual according to different factors (weight, height, sex, glycemia, cholesterol level, physical activity, age,...), a dashboard to study the evolution of the COVID pandemic, an image classifier able to predict the animals appearing on an image. 

Currently, in parallel to my internship, I am working on a relational database system.

4/ A message for future learners of the Platform?

Don't be afraid to go to the dark side of the force. 

Take advantage of this original way of learning and acquiring skills. An "anti-academic" method, based on an active pedagogy that values autonomous and responsible learning that is inseparable from collaboration and exchange with others.

5/ Can you share with us your feedback as a woman on the AI world ? 

It's great and really inspiring. We need to show that we have just as much of a place as the male rim in this industry. I would really like to promote what I see as a future profession to my female colleagues. 

As I aspire to become an AI specialist in Healthcare, I hope that the proportion of women in this type of position will increase over the years!

6/ You are doing your internship in the health sector, in a laboratory more precisely. 
What links can you make between these 2 fields? 
For you, is it essential to associate AI in the health field?

Artificial intelligence finds its place in all fields and particularly in Health.
As you can read in my profile, I am convinced that it is " better predict to cure!".

In this case, the project on which I am currently working aims to develop a tool to help diagnose cerebral palsy patients.
In addition to diagnosis, AI can be used to evaluate the risk for an individual to develop a disease according to predictive factors (age, sex, pathologies, sports activity), to predict its evolution, the epidemiological study of a disease (for example: evolution of the covid pandemic in the world), medical robotics or even numerous applications in surgery. These are just some of the applications of AI, whose potential to revolutionize the health sector is no longer in question.

In my opinion, it is therefore essential to implement AI in the health sector and this issue is all the more relevant in the current health crisis. 

Moreover, in our era strongly marked by the digital transition of the sectors and in particular the digitalization of the health system, the application of AI in Health seems obvious to me. 

7/ Do you think this training has been beneficial for you? 

Totally! My increase in skills since I started in September is more than considerable.
My colleagues and even those around me have noticed my progress and I myself now feel at ease in this field which seemed so inaccessible to me.

It is for me, a very enriching experience both professionally and on a human level.
I met wonderful people (a little nod to "my Rima") who have greatly contributed to my progress and professional development! I would like to thank them all for their support and I express my deepest gratitude to them.

All in all, this experience is without a doubt the biggest challenge I've faced so far. 

The beginnings were difficult, getting out of one's comfort zone is never easy but it was worth it! 

8/ If you had a message for women who want to get into AI but don't dare, what would it be?

As Beyoncé would say "Let's run the World... of IA!"

Find Sarah on her LinkedIn: https: //www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-jean-gilles/

On Friday, February 5, La Plateforme_ organized a round table on the theme of digital inclusion with exceptional guests to enrich the debate: Cedric O, Secretary of State for Digital Transition and Electronic Communications; Olivia Gregoire, Secretary of State for SSE; Elisabeth Fonteix, Director of Training and Skills Development for the Orange Group; Samia Ghozlane, Director of the Grande Ecole du Numérique; and Serge Magdeleine, CEO of Crédit Agricole Alpes Provence.

Watch the entire roundtable on digital inclusion.

1/ Hello Clément, could you introduce yourself in a few words ?

My name is Clément CAILLAT, I am 19 years old and I am from Grenoble, in Isère. 

My school life is rather chaotic, but outside of school, I have always been passionate about computers and web development.When I was 13, I saw a friend who knew HTML editing the source code of web pages, I thought if he could do it, I could too. At the age of 14, I started to learn HTML on my own. I continued to use other software-oriented languages, and then I started working on small personal web development projects.

I was never really interested in what we learned at school. What interests me is learning during the day, going home to apply it on my computer and trying to discover new languages.

In high school, I did an STMG course, technical sciences of management and management, it was 2 years that were quite rough during which I had difficulty to envisage the future.At the time, I was often told that I didn't have the theoretical skills to go into the digital business. I knew it was possible, and I told them I could do it.

I don't have my bachelor's degree, but I never thought it was an insurmountable obstacle.

2/ How did it happen and why did you choose the Platform?

I was in a relationship with a young woman who had just started her graduate studies in Aix-en-Provence, I followed her and started to learn more about this region. My basic plan was to do a civic service at the Red Cross, not necessarily in digital, then I discovered La Plateforme_.

I had already read about digital schools like the 42 school, then I came across a post on a social network talking about La Plateforme_ as the new digital school in Marseille open to everyone. And I applied! 

I had a quick meeting with a member of the teaching team, Pascal in this case. He suggested I continue the process by participating in a hackathon: a 3-day test to select learners. I liked it right away! I had only one desire: to start the Coding school courses.

I was very attracted by the "Student Adaptive Learning" method proposed by the Platform: it means that the school adapts to the students, which is something I like very much. It is also very concrete: you learn something during the day and you can use it directly on your PC in the evening.

For once, I was motivated and the results followed: at the end of my first year I graduated, which is a great pride for me. At the end of this course, I registered for the second year, and La Plateforme_ offered to take me on as a trainee.

I immediately accepted because I really like the school's philosophy.

3/ Can you tell us about the projects you have realized? 

We started with fairly simple projects to give us access to languages such as HTML and CSS. It was really fun and very quickly we were able to develop our first simple websites.

Then we did some more advanced projects, especially in graphic design, which is interesting because it allows us to customize and test a lot of things.

Personally, I was eager to start using PHP, as it's a programming language I've been working on as a hobby since I was 13 years old. 

There are real algorithms behind it. 

What is interesting is that we are given the choice of several projects. It's very rich.

Last year we had to validate an online store project. It was very exciting. In addition to the development in PHP, I was also in charge of configuring the database and ensuring the security of access to the site.

4/ A message for future learners of the Platform?

The world of computer development may seem difficult and opaque, but if you are passionate about it, go for it!

Find Clément on his website : https://clement-caillat.students-laplateforme.io

1/ To start, could you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Sarah Chaouati, I'm 28 years old, I'm from Marseille and I'm part of the first Web Developer class of La Plateforme. At the end of my training, La Plateforme offered me to continue with them through a 2-year work-study program, during which I perfected my web development skills while working as a pedagogical assistant.

I am delighted to be able to get involved in the missions of La Plateforme_, the project responds to my quest for meaning.

I left school very early, the school model did not suit me, staying 7 hours on a chair listening to a lecture did not stimulate me. At 18, I quit school and travelled a bit, including 3 years in Malta doing food jobs.

I've always been in the geek world (PC video games etc.) but I had too many preconceived ideas to go into tech studies (It's too hard, I don't have the skills, I'll have to sit in front of a computer for 7 hours, You need a big diploma to get into a school).

After a separation and a big realization, I said to myself that it was time for me to become an actress of my life and to find a job in which I could blossom. Hence the Platform!

2/ How did it happen and why did you choose the Platform?

I discovered La Plateforme thanks to a Pôle emploi advisor. I quickly got in touch with the school and met Pascal. We had a chat, and he gave me a good presentation of the school's values, such as benevolence and open-mindedness, which is very important to me. He also deconstructed my preconceived ideas about studying and coding by giving me the keys to success: good will and motivation. 

I participated in a Hackathon that lasted 2 days, and that's where I met the whole educational team.

I was then convinced that it was at La Plateforme_ that I wanted to start my professional reconversion.

3/ Can you tell us about the projects you have realized? 

The first year I studied the basics to become a web developer (HTML, CSS), then the basics of algorithms, then the front end (Ajax). The teaching method is to work in groups and to collaborate with as many people as possible. It is a system of points that we are given according to the skills developed, which allows us to participate in projects.

My first school project was the creation of an online cake store.

The hardest thing was an online room reservation project, in terms of "loops", it was really a challenge, but we managed to set it up.

For our professional project, it was a website for an equestrian center: we had to imagine graphic creations, that taught us to present ourselves in front of a professional, and to defend our choices.

4/ A message for future learners of the Platform?

It's accessible to everyone as long as you give yourself the means! We have a good teaching team, which is there, available and benevolent. But you have to take charge of yourself.It's a good springboard, you have the chance to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds with whom you will be enriched.

I arrived! I had no diploma, and today I have a bachelor's degree and a job offer from my school.There is no fear, no judgment of one's background, here it doesn't matter, what matters is motivation and mutual support.

It's a great opportunity, I'm glad life led me here!

Find Sarah on https://sarah-chaouati.students-laplateforme.io/

1/ Hello Louise. We are delighted to welcome you for this first ITW of the year 2021 which aims to highlight the students of the Platform. To start, could you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Louise Décombe, I'm 27 years old and I'm originally from Marseille. I joined the Platform in March 2020 to follow the Coding School curriculum.

Before joining La Plateforme, I studied law in Paris until my Masters at the Sorbonne. I started to get interested in digital law during my studies and I was able to do an internship for a "legaltech" for which, beyond law, I had to manage several projects. This experience gave me the desire to learn more about the digital professions. At the Sorbonne, I also participated in several working groups on technology and digital, artificial intelligence, blockchain... 

Some time later, I took the decision to train in the digital industry. In parallel, after a few years in Paris, I decided to come back to the south of France, to improve my quality of life, and to be closer to my family. 

And that's when I "met the Platform"!

2/ How did it happen and why did you choose the Platform?

I stumbled upon an article in the press about the Platform, whose promise of being able to learn to code without pre-requisites interested me. I contacted Roxan, the pedagogical manager, to get an appointment. After discussing my goals, he directed me to the coding school program. I participated in the Hackathon to select the class and I was able to join the program in March 2020.

The school's pedagogy was a determining factor in my choice: after years of faculties and purely theoretical lectures, the project-based training attracted me immediately. The free training and the ambition of the Platform project, with its general interest dimension, convinced me. And as I also wanted to return to Marseille, my choice was clear!

In the end, switching from law to code seemed quite natural to me. Both subjects are very standardized and require logic to reach a conclusion. At La Plateforme, I can therefore capitalize on my previous experiences, which was not obvious at first.

3/ Can you tell us about the projects you have realized? 

First of all, I would like to emphasize the fact that at La Plateforme, the training courses are long (1 year for each coding school course), which really allows for in-depth learning. At the beginning of the year, we learned for example the history of programming languages, in which context and why web technologies (HTML, PHP...) are essential...

I really like the way we work on school projects, in small groups of a few learners. These projects are fictitious but inspired by real business problems. 

For example, we had to develop a corporate social network for the Platform. Far from the image of the geek in his room, we have to work in team all the time, which is really great!

My main study project (still in progress) is a team project for which we have to develop the e-commerce website of a bookstore in my neighborhood (in PHP / Symfony). Very interesting and very important for this small company. Especially in the current period of health crisis of the Covid-19 which currently has no way to sell online or click and collect system. We still have work to do, especially on the connection between the site and the stock management software to have the availability in real time.

What I like most about this experience, beyond the technical part where we have fun as a team, is how meaningful our work is. What drives me is to give digital visibility to companies in France.

4/ A message for future learners of the Platform?

Coding is not impossible for anyone, the learners who are the best in my class do not necessarily have the most advanced academic background. We all start with the idea that everything is to be learned.

The trainings are long, and that's a plus! We have time to learn qualitatively, even if we have to work fast and well.

To think bigger, The Platform is a great springboard for training, and the prospects are vast, many start with code, and end up with many opportunities. It's the gateway to various professions in digital business or tech for example.

Finally, La Plateforme is a great, caring atmosphere. We learn a lot from each other, both on a professional and personal level.

Find Louise on https://louise-decombe.students-laplateforme.io/