Discover People at Soitec

More than 80 work-study students and interns are currently thriving across every sector of the company: R&D, Human Resources, Communication, Finance, Sustainability, and beyond. Everywhere you look, they hold real responsibilities and contribute fully to Soitec's projects. And to tell their daily stories, who better than one of their own? Sofia, our communications intern from Italy, wrote these portraits.

Different backgrounds, the same energy. Today, discover the story of Léa Pley, Training Coordinator within the Human Resources department.

Léa: growing by helping others grow
As a work-study Training Coordinator at Soitec, Léa coordinates over 400 occupational health and safety training sessions each year. It’s a responsibility she embraces with enthusiasm, following a career shift that led her to turn her passion for helping others into a profession.

A passionate career transition toward Human Resources
After earning a scientific high school diploma and a Bachelor's degree in Educational Sciences, Léa initially intended to work in national education. The health crisis served as a turning point. She stepped away from teaching while keeping what had always driven her: training. She completed a professional degree in Human Resources Management, then worked for two and a half years at a training organization, notably at GRETA in Grenoble. But she wanted to go further.

To turn this new direction into reality, she resumed her studies with a Master's in HR at CESI Grenoble and joined Soitec in August 2024 for a two-year work-study program. 

"I knew it had to be a work-study format. It was the best way to return to school while continuing to work."

Safety training: a concrete driver for action
Attached to the Talent Development team, Léa manages an impressive volume of 400 to 450 safety training sessions per year. Working closely with the HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) department, she coordinates need identification, logistics with external providers, and authorization tracking.

This high-responsibility role feels genuinely meaningful to her.

"I feel truly useful because, through training, and safety training in particular, I really help colleagues work without putting themselves in harm's way," she shares. 

She views training as a powerful driver of personal growth: 

"Developing skills allows everyone to find their footing, build self-confidence, and create a career path that truly suits them."

Autonomy and proximity within the team
Based in an open-space environment that brings together all HR functions, Léa immediately appreciated the company's culture of openness. For her, Soitec offers the perfect balance: an international reach that still maintains real ground-level connection. "There are no barriers between people or functions. Everyone is accessible, which makes daily work much easier."

Quickly gaining independence, she was able to manage new safety training programs from A to Z and even share her experience with another company, BioMérieux in Lyon. This mutual trust goes hand in hand with a great team dynamic, punctuated by regular social gatherings.

Step-by-step learning toward working life
As her work-study program comes to an end, Léa reflects on how far she has come. Beyond technical skills, she values the hands-on experience gained, the responsibilities entrusted to her, and the confidence placed in her. Empowered by her journey, she strongly encourages students to take the leap into work-study programs—a format that, in her view, offers a valuable "right to make mistakes":

"As a work-study student, you learn gradually, you are guided, and you have the right to make mistakes. It really is a step-by-step skill progression."

Today, Léa is looking for an HR position, ideally in the field of training. One thing is certain: she will take away far more from this experience than just professional skills.

"What I will remember most is the team. I immediately felt like I belonged."