CléA certificates for developing and assessing key competences of work force

A nationwide publicity campaign and a call for training projects towards the Cléa certificate were organised.

The Order of 19 February 2019 on the professional knowledge and skills assigned the management of the CléA certificate to the association Certif'Pro, the national association for interprofessional certification, was created in December 2018. By 2019, around 27000 Cléa certificates had been issued.

A new certificate, CléA Numérique (created by decree on 8 January 2019), now completes the CléA certificate. It focuses on knowledge and skills relating to the basic use of digital technology. It was designed by the association Certif'Pro and the Ministry of Labour and is listed in the special directory of qualifications and accreditations held by France Compétences.

In 2020 CléA and CléA numérique become eligible for Pro A (alternance training scheme, created by the 2018 Law) for promotion or retraining of employees. Extended agreements define eligible certifications for each branch.

The measure is operational and runs as regular practice.

CléA and CléA Numérique have been renewed for 5 years within the national certification framework/specific directory. A CléA Management is being developed at the request of the social partners in partnership with the executive employment association (Association pour l'emploi des cadres, APEC, which is subsidised for public service missions). The skills reference framework has been validated.

From 2022, this policy development is part of the national implementation plan (NIP) under the measure 'contributing to equal opportunities in all areas', action 'Measures to support entry into training'.

Following on from CléA and CléA Numérique, the joint employee-employer association 'Certif Pro' is launching CléA Management. Cléa Management is a standards framework enabling the evaluation and certification of basic management skills. It is designed for people who would like to move into management, people starting their managerial careers, as well as individuals currently occupying managerial positions. This new qualification is registered in France Compétences' specific directory along with the authorisation of service providers to assess and train prospective candidates.

This standards framework was called for in the national inter-professional agreement on managerial staff, signed on 28 February 2020. The framework is divided into three areas of competence:

1. organising business activities with regard to the expectations and constraints of the company and its environment;
2. leading and supervising the working team;
3. supporting employees and fostering the development of their skills.

In 2022, a report was produced on the Cléa competence framework, focusing on participation in the Region Paris for the Clea main certificate. Among the 3 842 participants for 2021, 1 802 were certified. The majority of candidates were jobseekers (88%). The main reasons for the low level of employees' participation are lack of awareness about the certificate and the reluctance of companies to allow their employees to take a few days off for training. The report reveals also that half of the candidates were aged under 30, and one third were under 25. The five most popular sectors related to the participants' professional project or area of activity were: childcare, health/paramedical, reception/secretarial/administrative, care giving and retail.

The following initiative can be considered as additional support to the framework: training providers (Association for adults vocational training - Afpa, Digischool) and the business, La Poste, have launched a new free educational application, SuperCléA Num, which helps people to acquire digital skills and to improve their ability to use digital technology in their daily life or in a professional setting. The application can also be used to help obtain the digital CléA qualification.

Certif'Pro launched two new campaigns to accredit additional training organisations for the CléA and CléA digital certifications. This accreditation is mandatory for any organisation intending to evaluate or train within the CléA certification framework, which focuses on foundational professional skills.

To address evolving managerial practices and the growing need for structured skill development in leadership, Certif'Pro has been tasked by social partners to create a unified foundational skills framework, CléA Management. Currently under review for registration with France Compétences, CléA Management comprises three core areas aimed at defining essential managerial competencies. With this certification, Certif'Pro adds a new dimension to its interprofessional certification offerings—expanding the scope beyond CléA and CléA numérique.

CléA Management is designed to assess and certify fundamental management skills for those aspiring to supervisory roles, new managers, and existing team leaders seeking to enhance their capabilities. Upon approval, the next steps will include registration in the specific certification registry and the accreditation of providers qualified to assess and train candidates in this new managerial skills standard.

Additionally, a regional survey, 'CléA: where are they now?', was conducted in Île-de-France to track the progress and outcomes of individuals certified under the CléA programme.

In 2024, Certif'Pro launched new accreditation campaigns for CléA, CléA digital, and the recently developed CléA Management. These initiatives aim to update the network of qualified organisations authorised to assess and deliver training under each certification framework, improving access to pathways for skills development across core, digital and management skills.