Draft:EN3S

The École Nationale Supérieure de Sécurité Sociale (EN3S) is a French grande école established in 1960, under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

EN3S's main missions are to select and develop the skills of the directors of the French social welfare system, to promote international cooperation in the field of social welfare, either in the form of transfers of expertise or specific training courses, and to contribute to collective knowledge on social welfare and public management.

As of 2023, more than 3,000 directors trained at the school were responsible for overseeing the French social welfare system, collecting and redistributing through social benefits nearly 500 billion euros a year. The School has been based in Saint-Étienne in the Loire department since 1978, but also has teaching facilities in Paris.

History
EN3S was created by decree on May 12, 1960 by Charles de Gaulle, then president of France, to guarantee equal access to management positions in the Social welfare administration through a competitive examination and to support the professionalization of the social welfare administration. EN3S was first named CESSS (an acronym for Centre d'études supérieures de sécurité sociale).



After a decree of June 10, 1977, the CESSS became the CNESSS (an acronym for Centre national d'études supérieures de sécurité sociale). The CNESSS became a public administrative establishment (EPA) and moved from Paris to Saint-Étienne the following year. In 2004, the CNESSS became the current École nationale supérieure de sécurité sociale, EN3S.

Every year since its creation, the school has welcomed leading figures from the world of senior administration and public service, including Simone Veil and Marisol Touraine.

Most teachers are senior civil servants or public service executives who hold management positions in the social security administration or social ministries. Classes are a mix of theory and case studies, similar to those used in business schools. In partnership with Gustave Eiffel University, the program awards a Master's degree to all its students.

Admission process
Admission to the school is highly selective. Each year, EN3S organizes three entrance examinations as part of its admission process with applicants required to write 4-hour essays in subjects like public law, history, public health, management, sociology and current events.

These competitive examinations are based on a model similar to the other French "grandes écoles". Every year, about 500 people sit for one of the three entrance examinations and about 57 are selected to join the school. This low admission rate makes the school of one the most selective public management schools in France along institutions like INSP (French training school for senior civil servants and diplomats), ENM (French training school for judges and prosecutors), INET (French training school for senior civil servants).

Curriculum and student life
Applicants who have successfully passed the entrance exams join the school for a duration of 18 months. The goal of the school is to develops the main skills of managers who will go on to run the French social welfare institution. Students thus get to study subjects like team management, entrepreneurship (change management, project and experimentation management), corporate strategy, communication, corporate finance and financial analysis. The 18-month training course is also an opportunity for future managers to develop their ability to think critically about both health and social policies and their management. The 18-month course alternates between theoretical studies (social welfare policy, business management, management, strategic planning) and internships. During the course, students are encouraged to volunteer with local associations including local public schools and retirement homes. Students are given the opportunity to live in a building owned by the school next to the main campus in Saint-Etienne .

International cooperation and executive education
EN3S's International Relations Department organizes international cooperation initiatives in the field of social welfare. The school hosts trainees from various countries and continents who want to learn about the French social welfare system. EN3S also sends French specialists in the field of social welfare to foreign institutions (ministries, social organizations, schools or universities).

Since 2008, EN3S has been  subsidizing research programs in the field of social welfare. These research programs include university research organizations and research papers and essays written by current students. Research topics include health and social policies, the management of the French social welfare system. Some of this research is presented at conferences and published, notably in the EN3S magazine REGARDS. .