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Vocational Training System - France
Source: CEDEFOP
The goal of the French education and training system is to provide equal opportunities for all children, and later, adults. French education is national and free of charge, and in the main is secular. Private schools receive a government subsidy under an association agreement, providing education for an average of one pupil out of five.
Since the Republic set up its own schools in the 1880s, education in citizenship has performed a major role.
School education is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16, although most children attend nursery school from the age of 3.
The trend in recent years has been towards prolonging the period of school education. In 1998/1999, 14.5 million young people aged 2 to 22 were in education, from nursery school to university, i.e. 91% of this age group.
The education system coming under the Ministry of Education consists of three levels or 'degrés', in turn consisting of cycles (cycles):
Pupils usually choose between the following at the age of 15:
Long regarded as a route lacking the prestige of general educational paths in France, vocational training has improved its standing since the 1980s. Diplomas of vocational and technical education have been modernised to adapt their content to technological change. Work placements are now part of the course in vocational lycées. Alternance training has developed widely at every level (including higher education). Enterprises are claiming a share in and greater responsibility for the training process.
The development of technological and vocational streams of higher education, a process that began about a decade ago, has led to a sharp rise in the number of students enrolling in technical- and vocational-type courses (45% in 1996).
Since 1983, furthermore, it has been possible to take all the university work-related courses through the apprenticeship route.
Vocational training of young people
To combat youth unemployment, during the 1980s the government and the social partners developed alternance training measures. These were in addition to the existing streams in the school system and to apprenticeship.
The regions also took on a greater role and apprenticeship was modernised.
There are three methods of organising vocational training for young people:
The employer is required to arrange for the apprentice's practical training, appointing an apprentice master (maître d'apprentissage) for this purpose. The apprentice master is a skilled employee who assigns the apprentice to tasks or a work station enabling him to perform operations or work according to an annual schedule of progress drawn up by agreement with the apprentice training centre. This training must be validated by a diploma or title.
Apprenticeship is funded by private-sector employers as a whole (with the exception of the liberal professions and farmers), the Government and the regional councils. Employers receive financial support during the period of apprenticeship. A young person receives pay that is a percentage of the national minimum wage (SMIC, or salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance: FRF 6881 = EUR 1049), ranging from 30% to 80% depending on the apprentice's age and the length of time he has served under the contract.
In 1998, a total of 708400 young people were in the second vocational cycle, 427250 in the second technological cycle and 15 000 in the second agricultural cycle and there were 320000 apprentices.
These measures, which come under the continuing training system, support less qualified youngsters by giving them a second chance:
- some young people receive training with the status of work placement trainee, in which case they receive an allowance;
- others are granted special contracts of employment specific to young people. In this case, they have the status of a wage-earner and receive an allowance based on the minimum wage, the amount of which depends on their age and length of service.
In addition to the apprenticeship contract, there are three types of contract combining work and training specifically targeted at the 16-25 age group: the contrat de qualification, (qualification contract), the contrat d'orientation (guidance contract) and the contrat d'adaptation (adaptation contract). They must all include vocational training, and the young people receive a percentage of the national minimum wage.
Other contracts have been introduced, but the training element is optional: new job services for young people, a 'solidarity employment contract' (contratemploi-solidarité), a 'consolidated employment contract' (contrat emploi-solidarité ) and an 'employment initiative contract' (contratinitiative-emploi), all of which are aimed at both young people and adults.
In 1998, 216000 young people received training as work placement trainees and 179500 took advantage of employment contracts combining work and training.
Continuing vocational training is for people who have already embarked on their working life or are just entering it. The aim is to:
The government, regions, enterprises and social partners come together to formulate policy for adult vocational training.
Access to training is regulated by specific measures covering the following:
The government, regions, enterprises and households contribute towards the funding of vocational training.
There are many training and advice providers, as well as information agencies, informing, guiding and training different target groups.
Whatever their workplace, employees may take advantage of continuing training during the course of their working lives. They may be trained:
In addition a new measure, 'capital temps formation' (training time capital), introduced in December 1993, allows employees to attend training courses during working hours on their own initiative, under the enterprise's training plan.
In 1997
In 1998
The draft Law, now being prepared by the State Secretariat for Vocational Training, is designed to develop the individual right to lifelong training.
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The skills audit The Law of 31 December 1991 introduced the right to leave for a skills audit. Through this audit, employees can analyse their personal and occupational skills with a view to drawing up a career or training plan. An assessment is carried out through personal interviews and evaluations, tests, diagnosis and individual research, with the support of one or more advisers. Skills audits may be implemented under the enterprise training plan or during an individual training leave. They may not be conducted without the worker's consent, and the findings may be made known to third parties only if the worker agrees. This opportunity to have a skills audit is also offered to jobseekers, both young and adult. In 1998, 78000 skills audits were conducted, 30% for those already in employment and 70% for those seeking work. |
Civil servants are entitled to take training under a training plan introduced on the initiative of their service they work for, or under a training leave scheme.
Training is also an option for self-employed people (farmers, craftsmen, freelancers, traders, liberal professions). Since 1992, they have made a compulsory contribution towards training in the form of a levy payable to a government-accredited collection agency.
All jobseekers may, on certain conditions, train and receive an allowance.
Their training may be arranged:
There are also certain specific measures directed solely at jobseekers who have particular difficulties in obtaining employment (the long-term unemployed, those receiving the minimum national starting wage, people aged over 50, disabled workers). These measures do not always entail training, but may be in the form of support for jobseeking (producing CVs, remotivation, preparing for interviews, etc.). The public employment service is responsible for implementing such schemes.
Teachers and trainers of vocational training
The status and job profiles of teachers of vocational training differ widely depending on the type of establishment in which they work.
The funding of continuing vocational training
Continuing training is funded mainly by central government, regions and employers. In 1997, total national expenditure on vocational training and apprenticeship was an estimated FRF139.9 billion (EUR 21.33 billion), 1.72% of GDP.
The responsibilities of central government and regions are laid down by law.
Whereas central government, regions and employers contribute towards continuing vocational training, each in their own field, co-financing projects are also encouraged.
Central government has special budgets to be devoted more specifically to combating unemployment and exclusion:
It also contributes towards:
The regions
Each regional council funds measures to support the 16-25 age group as well schemes reflecting its defined priorities.
All enterprises participate in the development of continuing training by their annual contributions towards training schemes or skills audits.
Under collective agreements, certain sectors of the economy have adopted higher levies than the statutory minimum.
Enterprises also finance cultural, sporting, social advancement and personal development activities through their works councils (in enterprises with more than 50 employees).
The unemployment insurance scheme for jobseekers and public-sector hospital workers also contributes towards training expenditure, as do private households.
In 1997, central government and employers in general made an almost equivalent contribution towards the funding of vocational training and apprenticeship (39.1% et 39.2%).
The proportion contributed by the regions (9.5%) has risen sharply over the past few years due to the gradual decentralisation of training for the under-26s introduced since July 1994.
The unemployment insurance scheme and the public hospital sector contribute 10.1% of the total cost of vocational training, and families 2%.
Training, skills audit and information providers
There are two types of continuing vocational training providers: training agencies and bodies offering skills audits, together with information agencies.
In 1998 there were 40000 training agencies on the training market to which access is free. Of these, 11300 are mainly engaged in the provision of education and training. The 6500 largest providers account for 83% of total turnover.
Public and quasi-public training agencies
These come under the Ministry of Education or other ministries, and include in particular:
The Law also permits employers to organise the training of their employees by recruiting their own trainers.
Skills audit agencies with public- or private-sector status must meet certain requirements, especially as regards methodology and professional ethics.
In 1998, close to 900 skills audit providers were accredited and 78000 audits had been conducted.
Agencies providing information on training
Various bodies have a role in information and vocational guidance. They include:
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