Created in 1900

With a rich history of over a hundred years, ECAM has successfully implanted its know-how in the Rhone-Alps region and acquired a position of respect in the industrial sector nationwide. Here are some of the important dates.

1860
The Brotherhood of Christian Schools, the precursors
Les Frères des Ecoles Chrétiennes (the Brotherhood of Christian Schools), a teaching congregation, founded in the 17th century in Reims by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, took charge of elementary education, then in the last century, commercial and technical education.
From 1860 onwards, the Brotherhood developed, in their vocational schools and boarding schools, industrial sections as a preparatory cycle for the highly recognised national schools of engineering. (Ecoles d’Arts et Métiers) The latter, created at the beginning of the 19th century, focuses on developing solid technical skills.

Together with engineers from Ecole Centrale, the former students of the national schools of Arts et Métiers were at the forefront of the industrial revolution...

1900
Birth of the Arts et Métiers school Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle in Reims.
In 1900, the Brotherhood opens in Reims, rue du Barbâtre, the Arts et Métiers School, Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, inaugurated on 17 November 1900. Supported by regional industrialists, this boarding school offers a high level technical and scientific training programme, in three years, with practical workshops in mechanics, modelling, woodworking, forging and electricity.
From the beginning, recruitment is nationwide and development is fast : 45 students in each year group from 1912. In September 1914, Reims is bombed, the cathedral is on fire... at the end of the First World War nothing remains of the School.
1919
Merger of the Schools of Arts et Métiers d’ERQUELINNES and REIMS 
The School of Industrial Mechanics and Electricity in Erquelinnes was founded in Belgium in 1911, near Jeumont. It had vast resources in buildings and workshops.

In 1919, the students from both schools are united at Erquelinnes and the Alumni Associations merge in 1922. The Arts et Métiers Schools of Erquelinnes and of Reims, (A.M.E.R.) offer students, for the most part French, technical training, consisting chiefly of workshop activities (mechanics, forging, smelting, woodworking) but in which experimental physics, chemistry and electricity have an important role.

A.M.E.R engineers are highly recognised in industry, although the school, situated in Belgium, doesn’t confer a French engineering diploma. Numbers increase to 65 per year group at the beginning of the thirties.

1940
ECAM comes to Lyon.
The School, temporarily based in Lyon since 1940, decides to stay permanently in September 1946.
1946
Authorisation by the Engineering Degree Conferring Commission to confer the ECAM-Lyon Engineering Diploma.
From 1947 to 1958
The school expands.
The workshop buildings, laboratories, student residences, built between 1947 à 1958 welcome student-engineers from all over France.
1950
A great centre of technical training.
Brother Joseph unites the technical high school "Aux Lazaristes" and ECAM.
1952
The period of training is extended to 4 years.
In order to reinforce the industrial and socio-cultural aspects of the training through the setting up of final-year internships in companies in the region of Lyon. 
1962
A five-year programme.
An extra year is added to the programme to reinforce the scientific aspect of the preparation.
1967
Studies divided into two sections.
2 years of Preparatory Classes, followed by three years of Engineering Studies. From 1970 to 1977 the school is run by Brother René Bonnetain, graduated from Ecole des Mines of Saint-Étienne.
1969
Creation of the FESIC
Fédération des Écoles supérieures d’Ingénieurs et de Cadres ( the Federation of Engineering and Executive Graduate Schools), which unites private schools of engineering and management Brother René Bonnetain, and his successor Jean Guy, equally serve three terms as President of this Federation.
1970
80 student-engineers in each year group.
Mechanical industry, chemical engineering, nuclear power sectors in the Rhone-Alps region recruit engineers from ECAM.
1977
Creation of the ECAM Foundation.
Recognised as a Public Utility Organisation on 2 July 1977. The school is placed under the responsibility of a Board of Directors, with representatives from Higher Education, ECAM engineers, and Christian School Brothers.

The engineering programme is unified, integrating the preparatory classes into a five-year course.

The nineties
Evolution of the content of teaching towards technical and scientific application.

Renovation of the buildings : total cost of programme over 10 years : 40 Million Francs, with a participation of 25% from General Council of Rhône and the Regional Council.

Creation of CECAM 1990
« Confédération des Écoles Catholiques d’Arts et Métiers » which brings together ICAM and ECAM. These schools, of similar origin, develop pedagogical discussion and common recruiting procedures.

1992
Inauguration of ECAM –ITII, Sandwich course to obtain the ECAM engineering diploma.
1995
Graduation of the first group of ECAM-ITT Sandwich course composed of 22 apprentices and 12 from lifelong-learning programme. 
2004
Creation of the ECAM Group.
On 1st October 2004 with ECAM (Ecole Catholique d’Arts et Métiers) of Lyon and the Louis de Broglie School in Rennes.
2006
Expansion of the ECAM Group.
On 1st July 2006, l’EPMI (Ecole d’Electricité, de Production et des Méthodes Industrielles) in Cergy Pontoise joined the ECAM Group.
2007
Creation of a new training programme : Masters in Lean Management and Continuous Improvement.
2008
Creation of a new training programme : Masters in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management).

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Access to ECAM

The school is situated in the heart of Lyon, on the Fourvière hill, just above the old quarter of Lyon in an attractive setting with a superb view over Lyon and the Alps.

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