The State Public Works Engineering Corps (French: French: Ingénieurs des Travaux Publics de l'Etat (ITPE)) is a division of civil servants (fonctionnaires) working for the Government of France. Its members are mainly employed as team or project managers in the French Civil Service, overseeing areas such as infrastructure, environment, transportation, and energy.[1]
The members of the corps are in charge of the supervision and management of public policies requiring technical and scientific skills; their work is not restricted to traditional public works areas, but include areas[2] [3] as :
Engineers carry out their assignments and responsibilities throughout France, including French overseas territories. They could also be stationed in French embassies abroad,[8] as well as in international and European Union organizations, such as the World Bank[9] and European Commission.
The majority of the engineers are recruited directly during their 2-years post secondary studies in classes préparatoires by taking a competitive examination in mathematics, physics, and engineering. If accepted they join the National School of Public Works (French: French: École nationale des travaux publics de l'État) as a paid civil servant in training for 3 years.[10]
During their studies in this engineering school (grandes écoles d'ingénieurs), they receive a multidisciplinary education in the fields of competences in which they will be brought to work once graduated. They also carry out a professional internship per year of study, in France or abroad. After graduation, they can go directly to an assigned position in the civil service. It is also possible for them to be selected to do a thesis in a field of interest of the Government or to carry out an additional year of specialization study to occupy certain positions requiring specific technical skills.[11]