Have you finally finished school, found an apprenticeship and signed the contract? The start of an apprenticeship marks the start of a new professional life. Apprenticeships are very appreciated and encouraged in France. Here are some tips to start your apprenticeship program under the best recommendations. Keep reading, so that you will be able to take your first steps into the job market without any problem or worry.

Apprenticeships and Professional trainings

Education takes various aspects in France. It can be either an academic program or an apprenticeship. Mandatory education is that which starts at 6 years old. At the age of 17 the student can choose either completing the baccalaureate or enter an apprenticeship academy. However, some apprenticeship programs require a baccalaureate holder to get engaged in airport jobs or banking and hospital service jobs. Whatever is the applicant’s educational level, the goal is to enable them to develop the target skills in the job market. For this reason, many organizations are also specialized in adult training. If you are curious about apprenticeships in France, sign up to Fratres. Fratres is a worldwide job portal that helps job seekers and graduates shape their future. Here are the secrets of pursuing an apprenticeship program in France.

What you should know about apprenticeships in France:

Apprenticeships are meant for professional development, skills development. In France, there are many types of professional training. As an applicant, you should make a successful apprenticeship choice. Keep in mind that apprenticeship fees vary from one certification to another. The period of training including the required materials depends on the chosen apprenticeship. In short, apprenticeships in France allow you to enter various fields such as, paramedical jobs, secretarial jobs, logistics, informatics and tourism.

These apprenticeship courses last from a few hours to several years. They can lead to diplomas, qualifications or certificates and take place in various establishments (schools, university, company, at home, etc.). As an applicant you need to know these professional facts on apprenticeships in France

1.Consider the Initial Training

Initial training refers to the course during which students learn the basics of any profession. It must take place in state-related schools. For example, once you have completed your baccalaureate, you choose to proceed to graduate studies at the university. You remain in the context of initial training. During this learning period, you will acquire the necessary knowledge for exercising the chosen profession. Depending on the training and / or the establishments where it takes place, the duration is variable but the course is followed in its entirety in person and without work-study. If you choose to end this training before its end and resume it more than two years later, it will no longer be in an initial training course but continuing or professional.

2. Learn about Available Work-study Programs:

In France, vocational training no longer falls within the framework of initial training. Continuing training is one of the work-study options. It concerns people, who are already in activity or with professional experience, such as employees, self-employed persons or job seekers and who choose to resume studies. In this type of training, people seek above all to improve their skills, develop new ones to advance in their current job, complete an initial training course or prepare a retraining project. For example, you are a journalist and want to move into copywriting. You could then follow training courses allowing you to professionalize in this field. 

3. Develop Manual skills:

Vocational training is an important development tool available to all workers, whether they are employees, self-employed, business owners or job seekers. Very similar to continuing training, it allows you to train throughout your professional life to develop or gain new skills and boost your career or change jobs, but also to ensure that you maintain your employability. Vocational training is a national obligation to enter the manufacturing field. Applicants engaged in trades and manual jobs are protected in the Labor Code. Its implementation is linked to the status of the person. It requires the funding of the training itself or compensation of the person during this training. It can therefore be part of your company's training plan or emanate from your personal request.

4. Advanced in age? Why don’t you go for Adult Training?

Adult training includes vocational training and continuing education. It is never too late to learn new skills, especially if you have an entrepreneur life or a career change plan. Adult training is also open for retirees 

5. Follow the Classic ways of Training

Vocational training has changed over time. Still the classic way of face-to-face training is involved in teaching skill trades. This training is based on demonstrating the operation to students and expecting them to reproduce the process. This form of training is traditionally the most common, especially in manual fabrics and catering jobs. Many organizations can organize this type of continuing training whether they are public, institutional or private. Classes can be both group and individual.

6. Apprenticeship offers an alternating training

As a very effective way for entering the professional world, this method of education is suitable for young people aged 16 to 25. Whether under an apprenticeship contract or an internship contract, work-study training is a training system that allows students to alternate between periods of studies and periods of work. It also offers the possibility of accessing training at all levels: CAP, master, BTS, bachelor ...

This method of teaching is increasingly popular as the company benefits from apprentices’ services without paying a full salary. The work-study occasions enable  students to get paid to learn the trade.

7. The possibility of distant apprenticeship:

under pandemic conditions, apprenticeship programs become available online. There are many digitized programs to take.Here are some examples: 

• The MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) which is defined as an open access online training course. It provides learners with educational content and allows them to gain skills or personal qualities. At the end, the learner is issued a certificate.
• The COOC (Corporate Online Open Course) concerns the courses given by a company to its employees, executives, potential candidates or even its customers and suppliers. The objective is to support the digital transformation within companies and thus develop the skills of all employees.
• SPOC (Small Private Online Courses) which consists of bringing together a small number of people with a limited number of access to training.

These were the top 7 secrets of French Apprenticeships. Although many apprenticeships with diplomas or certificates are available entirely online, they still require you to practice alone in order to start your career.