Charting a course for apprenticeship and work-linked training

CAP training to Bac +5 level

Long and wrongly considered as a route reserved for young people with problems at school, apprenticeship now has the wind in its sails. The sector has undergone considerable change, becoming a source of high-quality training. Apprenticeship is open to young people from 15 to 30 years old, and now offers access to almost all qualifications, from CAP to Bac +5, in many sectors of activity. 

Although the artisan, service and construction professions remain major pools of apprentices, it is post-baccalaureate training, especially the BTS, degrees and Masters which are now coming to the fore. “Attitudes concerning apprenticeship have evolved, and this is now seen as an excellent route to employment. Apprenticeship is also developing rapidly in higher education,” confirms Karine Laplace, from the collective of the CFA 64s.

And this training often attracts the best candidates, who have a great capacity for work to cope with the demanding rhythm of alternating between periods in business and classes at the training establishment (CFA, higher education, university, etc.). These are attractive profiles for the host businesses. 

A real benefit for businesses

Just as apprenticeships are attracting ever-increasing numbers of young people, the arrangement is also attractive to businesses. Of course, apprenticeship involves investment, especially in time spent training and supporting the student, but it also represents an opportunity to mobilise a team around the transmission of knowledge and expertise. Hosting an apprentice, especially for post-baccalaureate training, also brings a new pair of eyes to look at the business or to become involved in projects in themes where ‘millennials’ are particularly comfortable, such as digital matters or social networks. And it is also a chance to train a talented young person in the methods and values of the company, with a view to enhancing the existing teams. 

Commitment… and rights

Apprenticeship and work-linked training is based on a work contract signed between a young person enrolled with a CFA and the host company. The apprentice or student is therefore an employee of the company, subject to the same rules concerning working time or paid holidays. They receive payment corresponding to a percentage of the minimum wage calculated according to their age, situation and qualifications. 

The apprenticeship reforms have relaxed some of the regulations related to the apprenticeship contract. It can now be agreed at any time, which enables a young person to start training at any time during the year. Rules concerning the timetables and working time of apprentices who are minors have also been relaxed to better meet the requirements of certain sectors. Finally, the contract can easily be ended by either the employer or the apprentice after the 45 days initially laid down in the contract. Now the employer can end it by common agreement with the apprentice as well as because of a serious failing or lack of aptitude and in the case of force majeure or permanent exclusion from the CFA. On his side, the apprentice may end his contract, after giving prior notice and using a mediator nominated by the Chamber of Commerce.

New help for busineses

Now that the Covid-19 crisis has weakened the economy, the Department for Work and Pensions announced on 4 June a relaunch plan to maintain the apprenticeship momentum, which had seen an increase of 16% nationally in 2019 compared to the previous year (and 10.2% in Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Among the principal measures was payment of special assistance to employers who recruit an apprentice between 1 July 2020 and 28 February 2021. The amount of this bonus will be 5000 euros for taking on work-linked students aged under 18 or 8000 for older students studying for a qualification up to a professional degree (bac+3). It will be paid unconditionally in businesses with fewer than 250 employees. The practical result of this measure should be to reduce to almost nothing the remaining load on the business taking on an employee under an apprenticeship contract. This special assistance will replace the unique apprenticeship assistance reserved for businesses with fewer than 250 employees for contracts at a level equal to or higher than the baccalaureate, rising to 4125 euros in the first year of the contract. It should be noted that in subsequent years employers will be able to benefit from unique assistance, to the level of 2000 euros for the second year and 1200 euros for the third.  

Personal experiences

Nicolas Olano, CEO of Groupe Olano (Saint Jean de Luz)

Groupe Olano is a transport and logistics company on an international scale, and regularly takes on apprentices. As if this was not enough, the group, which has 2500 employees, launched the OLANO Academy in October 2014 in partnership with the ISTELI School in Toulouse (member of the AFTRAL network, specialising in training in the transport sector). Every year this internal school trains a dozen young people under 30 for the Diploma of ‘Higher Technician in Transport and Logistics’ (BAC+2), via a one-year professionalisation contract, with a job as a bonus. “This arrangement has been very successful. We choose very carefully at the beginning,” says Nicolas Olano, CEO and founder of the group. “Apprenticeship is the essential stage between school and the world of business. For young people who have not found their feet in the school milieu, it’s an important pathway. And for the business, it enables them to train on site then recruit young people who have hands-on experience. It is therefore very important to help businesses that become involved in apprenticeship.”

Fanny Ringrave, Director of Operations at WOO (Anglet)

Founded in 2009, WOO is one of the leaders and specialists in the design of Hawaiian canoes, manufactured in their workshop at Anglet. The company has seven employees and is preparing to recruit a Masters student for two-years of work-linked training in the commercial function. “We are finalising the recruitment of an apprentice who has specialised in marketing sports articles. We preferred to use the apprenticeship route because we are going to entrust them with a prospection mission.” As they are looking for a Masters profile, the company will not benefit from assistance for this recruitment. “This represents a major investment for us. Our OPCO is paying most of the tuition fees but we have to pay part, as well as a salary over two years. It’s quite a commitment but what we find attractive is that the person can set up a project and monitor it over the long term. And if the apprentice is good and wants to stay, we could then recruit them, knowing they will have been trained in the specific requirements of our very niche profession. Besides, our marketing manager and our R&D engineer both started by doing work experience here. We work as a team and we want to stay together.”

Did you know?

In light of the recent reform of apprenticeships, several local establishments are looking at the possibility of creating work-linked training. Several players in the local area are already engaged in apprenticeships. These are some of them: 

The CFA de la Communauté Pays Basque  place Paul-Bert Bayonne 

The CFA agricole d’Hasparren - Route de Cambo, 64240 Hasparren 

The Université de Métiers at the CMA - 25 Boulevard d'Aritxague, 64100 Bayonne  

The UPPA - 8 Allée des Platanes 64100 BAYONNE