Reference year 2019
1Scheme history
Vocational training: SMEs training has a long lasting tradition in apprenticeships and target the skills needs of the SMEs labour market. In 1907 the first apprenticeship secretariat in Wallonia was created. The IFAPME network can be considered as the heir of this first historic institution.
Education is provided by educational authorities through CEFA centers (Centres d'Education et de Formation en Alternance). “Formation en alternance” was introduced in 1985.
Formation en alternance provided by IFAPME has its roots in traditional craftsmanship, i.e. training in SMEs.
Formation en alternance provided by CEFA was originally introduced as part of compulsory schooling in 1985 at the time of extending the compulsory schooling age from 15 to 18, with the implicit purpose of providing education to all young people who were at risk of early leaving.
2Beneficiaries
15 to 25
This scheme attracts potential early leavers or learners who accumulated ‘school failure’, the majority of learners are aged 18+.
In the school year 2016/2017, there were 9376 students enrolled in a CEFA including 6857 students with a training contract for formation en alternance.
http://enseignement.be/index.php?page=28126&navi=4551
In the school year 2016/2017, 4100 persons were in a “formation en alternance” organized by IFAPME, and 554 by SFPME. (OFFA : “Paysage de l’alternance, année 2012-2013 à 2016-2017”, Brussels, Avril 2017, Lien : Paysage de l'alternance 2012/2013 à 2016/2017)
3Qualifications
No NQF, but according to draft NQF it would be qualifications at Level 3 and 4 of EQF.
Qualifications and certificates only in the CEFA sub-system, equivalent to those of full-time education, are called “article 49”: Certificate of sixth year of studies of vocational secondary education (CE6P, Certificat d'études de sixième année de l'enseignement secondaire professionnel), Certificate of upper-secondary education (CESS, Certificat d'enseignement secondaire supérieur) , Qualification certificate for the sixth/seventh year of study (Certificat de qualification de sixième/septième année)
Article 49 qualifications in the CEFA sub-system are formal VET qualifications that do not indicate the pathway.
Article 45 qualifications, in the vocational training sub-system, are formal VET qualification, which indicate the pathway.
IFAPME and SFPME issue both formal apprenticeship qualifications and formal VET qualifications which indicate the pathway.
See Q18 for details about the qualifications.
Not always, only those awarded a Certificate of upper-secondary education (CESS, Certificat d'enseignement secondaire supérieur) may directly access higher education.
In IFAPME and SFPME, specific apprenticeship programs last from 18 months to 3 years.
4Governance
OFFA: Office francophone de la Formation en Alternance*.
Composition of the board (18 people):
- 5 members appointed by the French Community Government of which
- 4 members appointed by the compulsory Education
- 1 member appointed by “l’Enseignement de Promotion sociale”
- 7 members appointed by Walloon Region of which
- 3 representatives of IFAPME
- 2 representatives of trades unions
- 2 representatives of employers
- 6 members appointed by the college of the COCOF (French communautary commission of Brussel) of which
- 2 representatives of SFPME
- 2 representatives of trades unions
- 2 representatives of employers
* Only in charge in French speaking Belgium
Coordination of Formation en Alternance
OFFA (Office Francophone de la Formation en Alternance) is the sole coordinator of “formation en alternance” in French-speaking Belgium.
- The social partners are part of the board of OFFA as well as part of the Accreditation and mediation commission and are part of most of the working groups set up by OFFA.
- OFFA signs collaboration agreements with the sectors representatives (social partners) involved in alternance training and education
Designing qualifications et profiles
Vocational qualifications achievable in vocational education and vocational training for the French-speaking part of Belgium are developed by the Service francophone des métiers et des qualifications (SFMQ) (French-speaking service for trades and qualifications). SFMQ brings together the main VET stakeholders: the public employment services (PES), the social partners, all VET providers, the operators for socio-professional integration , the Skills Validation Consortium (Consortium de validation des compétences, CVDC) for Belgium-FR. SFMQ is in charge to create occupational profiles (basis for all vocational education and vocational training provision) that reflect the reality of occupations. Both type of VET providers en Alternance (SFPME/IFAPME and CEFA) implement some of the occupation profiles developed by SFMQ.
IFAPME implements some of the occupation profiles developed by SFMQ. The remaining profiles of qualifications and curricula are developed via specific apprenticeship programs with the support of the sectors.
SFPME: information not available.
CEFA’S: implement some of the occupation profiles developed by SFMQ. The remaining profiles of qualifications and curricula are developed within Education.
Social partners are part of the board of the local IFAPME training centers and part of the board of IFAPME. IFAPME signs collaboration agreements with the social partners at sectoral level involved in alternance training.
Employers representatives are part of the board of the local training center of SFPME (EFP). SFPME signs collaboration agreements with the social partners at sectoral level involved in alternance training.
CEFA signs collaboration agreements with the social partners at sectoral level involved in alternance training.
Social partners sitting in OFFA’s board are involved in the accreditation process of enterprises that are aiming to hire apprentices.
IFAPME/SFPME/CEFA’S: professionals or representatives of sectorial branches are part of the qualification jury in schools and training centers.
IFAPME/SFPME: training is delivered by active professionals
IFAPME: In the case of certain training courses (a few), the employers formally assess the trainees on the modules learnt in the company
5Training at the workplace
A training plan must be attached to the “contrat d’alternance”. It is part of the contract. It is established by the training institution, in consultation with the company and the apprentice. It mentions the apprentice’s learning path and skills to be acquired, both through in-company training and through training organized with the training institution. The training plan is divided in 3 levels of competences (A, B, C).
Typically, 1-2 days per week in school, 3-4 days in the enterprise. Specific adaptations of this arrangement depend on criteria such as the age of the apprentice.
The scheme is implemented based on the VET standards (valid generally for all VET schemes) when CEFA is the provider.
The scheme is implemented via a specific apprenticeship programme in the case of IFAPME and SFPME. Such programmes and related Vocational qualifications are developed with the support of the sectoral social partner representatives.
A training plan must be attached to the “contrat d’alternance”. It is part of the contract. It is established by the training institution, in consultation with the company and the apprentice. It mentions the apprentice’s learning path and skills to be acquired, both through in-company training and through training organized with the training institution. The training plan is divided in 3 levels of competences (A, B, C).
The company authorizes a training contact person from the training institution to visit the place of performance of the "contrat d'alternance" in order to check the company meets the obligations to which it subscribed. Training contact people ensure that the training plan is implemented and verify the equipment available to the apprentice.
Prior to the conclusion of a contract, the company must have obtained approval (accreditation) from the training institution to deliver “formation en alternance” (on proposal of sectorial coaches when they exist). The company introduces an application for approval to a training institution. Within three months of the application, the training institution (or the sectorial coaches when they exist) visits the company to see if the company meets the requirements for accreditation.
The company has to provide a tutor. The “tutor appointed by the company”, responding to the conditions specified in the contract. the company solemnly declares that the appointed tutor meets the conditions and justification of irreproachable conduct (i.e. the tutor has no criminal record, especially regarding sexual misconduct. The tutor must provide an official statement delivered by the authorities). The company hereby declare having checked the documents confirming the tutor's ability to be approved as such.
Accreditation may be suspended or withdrawn by the training providers. OFFA organizes a commission of accreditation and mediation which deals with the appeals filed by the companies or by he providers.
6Contract and compensation
A new definition of “apprentice” was introduced in July 2015 in order to harmonize the status of young people in “formation en alternance” with regards to social security. They are mostly treated as ordinary employees, but minors (until December 31 of the year in which they reach the age of 18), are only partially subject to social security to cover: ”annual vacation, work accident, occupational diseases”.
Contrat d’alternance.
Before 1 September 2015, IFAPME, SFPME and CEFA had their own type of contract. Following the implementation of a cooperation agreement (as of October 2008, not implemented until 2015) aiming to simplify, harmonize and promote the mobility of learners, the “contrat d’alternance” was established 1 September 2015. It introduces a common contract for all operators of “formation en alternance”, i.e. the so-called contract d’alternance.
This new contract replaces the socio-professional integration agreement (convention d’insertion socioprofessionnelle), the IFAPME apprenticeship contract, and the SFPME apprenticeship contract.
Apprenticeships are a specific type of contract.
In some sectors, it can also be an ordinary employment contract (for example, in care services).
Educational authorities through CEFA centers: contracts are registered at the schools (CEFA centers)
IFAPME and SFPME: contracts are registered at the local administrations of IFAPME et SFPME.
For both tracks: as of 4 November 2019, contracts are registered on-line on OPLA* (the unique and interactive platform of Alternance) under the control of OFFA.
For each skill level (included in the training plan) a minimum remuneration has to be paid to the young person by the company, as determined by decree, based on the “guaranteed average minimum monthly income” (€1,501.82), for the duration of the contract:
- Level A: minimum 17% (€270.94)
- Level B: minimum 24% (€382.51)
- Level C: minimum 32% (€510.02)
Apprentices wage is based on the “guaranteed average minimum monthly income determined by decree
7Financing and incentives
CEFAs are part of the formal educational system and are therefore publicly financed by the State. IFAPME/SFPME centers are financed by public educational authorities up to 75%.
Employers taking on apprentices may benefit from the reduction in social security contributions.
Furthermore, since the last reform of the Belgian Institutions (sixth state reform) in 2012 both Walloon and Brussels Regions are competent to organize their own incentives programs.
In Wallonia, there are two specific incentives to the attention of companies:
- Incentive to companies that hire their first apprentice: 750€ (once)
- Incentive to companies that train apprentices: 750€ for each apprentice who stays in the company at least 9 months and reaches the B level competence while in the company, see Q24).
In Brussels, the employer receives a bonus for each tutor who accompanies 1 to 4 learners simultaneously (the tutor premium). The apprentice must remain at least 6 months in the company: 1750€ for each tutor (once a year).
Moreover, employers may also benefit from a tax benefit: 40% of the learning compensations paid to the youngster may be considered as work-related expenses. (ReferNet, Apprenticeship-type schemes, Belgium 2014).