Quality assurance national framework for CVET providers and Apprentices Training Centres

Following a request by the Ministry of Employment, the National Council for Employment, Vocational Training and Career Guidance (CNEFOP) developed a self-assessment tool in 2016 to support quality in apprentice training centres (centres de formation d'apprentis, CFA). The tool was expected to help tackle apprentice dropout rates, reduce early breaches of apprenticeship contracts and enable training centres to question their own practices and design improvement plans.

A 2017 decree (Decree No 2017-239 of 24 February 2017) introduced the Eduform quality label for CVET providers.

The law of 5 September 2018 introduced an obligation for certification bodies to certify providers offering skills development activities (training activities, skills assessments, validation of prior learning - validation des acquis de l'expérience, VAE - and apprenticeships). Certification is based on a single national reference framework and is open to any organisation wishing to benefit from public or pooled funds.

In November 2019, the Ministry of Labour launched the Qualiopi label, which will be mandatory as of 1 January 2022. Qualiopi is issued by certifying bodies accredited by the French Accreditation Committee. The label is issued for a period of three years, renewable after an initial audit. Qualiopi covers 32 indicators grouped into seven criteria (including teachers and trainers CPD as well as issues related to equality and inclusiveness), which are made publicly available after their assessment. For each indicator, a guide specifies the expected level, the evidence required, specific obligations for certain actions if applicable, and lists potential major and minor non-conformities. One specific indicator is dedicated to the provision of staff members responsible for promoting international mobility.

The new national governance agency for vocational training and apprenticeships, France Compétences, is the lead institution for quality-related issues alongside the European Union.

The Eduform quality label has been adapted in accordance with regulatory and legislative changes made by the law of 5th September 2018 (Qualiopi certification). 'Eduform' is the quality label for vocational training issued by the Ministry of National Education and Youth. It is issued for three years by the Minister of National Education and Youth, after carrying out a national audit and receiving the opinion of the national labelling commission. Obtaining it automatically results in the granting of Qualiopi certification.

The provisions of the Official Bulletin of 5 November 2020 on vocational training (Decree No 2020-1295 of 23 October 2020 and bylaw of 23 October 2020) describe the adaptations of the Eduform quality label, due to health conditions: prolongation of the label validity (one more year) until 2020, and extension of the duration from three to four years for those labels delivered in 2020. Also, due to COVID-19, responsible bodies can carry out the audits for the Eduform labelling and Qualiopi certification remotely.

To help training providers to take ownership of the new Qualiopi quality reference framework, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Integration has published several resources: a reading guide, a user charter, user regulations and a set of questions and answers.

The Eduform national labelling commission meets at least once in a year to assess the bodies/institutions that will receive the label; the list of those labelled is published in the official bulletin of the Ministry of Education. In 2021, 111 public and private training providers were labelled; most of them are institutions operating under the remit of the education ministry (107) or other public or private training providers (4). It is possible to receive the label for one or more types of actions; in 2021 accreditations corresponded to: the delivery of continuing education programmes (105 accreditations), validation of prior learning processes (VAE) (70), apprenticeships (66) and skills audits (55). In total, 3 764 local national education institutions are Eduform labelled and more than 500 auditors are being trained in 2022.

In regard to the Qualiopi label, new institutions also need to be quality-certified, which requires them to inform their funding operator/body within two months regarding the certifying body or the labelling body they are in contact with. Furthermore, they are required to obtain the quality certification within six months after the conclusion of the first training agreement.

From 2022 this policy development is part of the NIP: "Measure Reinforcing the individualisation of training paths and the fluidity of lifelong learning" / Action: "The personal training account, vocational development counselling and the quality certification of training organisations".

Since January 2022, the Qualiopi certification is compulsory for all training providers who receive public or mutualised funds (the list of bodies that distribute such funds is defined in the Labour Code: skill operators, Transitions Pro associations, the State, the regions, the Caisse de dépots et consignations, Pôle emploi and Agefiph).

Apprentice training centres (centres de formation d'apprentis, CFA) should also be quality-certified (decree No 2021-1851); new apprenticeship training centres should inform their funding operator/body within two months of the certifying body or the labelling body they are in contact with and obtain the certification within six months after the conclusion of the first apprenticeship training agreement. Among the 32 indicators, one is related to VET providers' staff responsible for the promotion of international mobility of IVET learners as well as equality and inclusiveness.

A Ministerial Order of February 2022 extended the authorisation to carry out the initial remote audit for the awarding of the"EDUFORM" label.

Due to COVID-19, the possibility to carry out the Qualiopi audit remotely has been extended till end June, 2022.

The list of labelled training providers is publicly available on the open platform of French public data.

At the end of 2022, the Board of Directors of the national agency "France compétences" approved the new list of bodies authorised to award the Qualiopi French national quality assurance label. As of 1 January 2023, 8 bodies have been approved to award this certification based on the national reference document on training programme standards (art. L. 6316-2, Labour Code) for the period 2023-2025: the 7 bodies approved in 2019 plus a further organisation, namely the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Ministry of Labour created a working group on the training quality in November 2022. One of its objectives is to further strengthen the Qualiopi national quality assurance label by simplifying and coordinating its oversight policies.

The Order of 31 May 2023 'on various measures relating to the quality certification of training bodies' strengthens the quality certification measures for training providers and clarifies the audit procedures and standardises the practices of the certifying bodies that issue the Qualiopi label.

The decree no. 2023-1396 of 28 December 2023 'on the activity of certifying bodies and the control exercised by funding bodies in the field of vocational training' marks a new step towards improving the quality of training: from now on, in the interests of greater transparency, Qualiopi certifying bodies are required to submit an annual report on their activities to the ministry responsible for vocational training, the national accreditation body and France Compétences. These changes also empower funding bodies to coordinate quality checks on the programmes they finance.

As mandated by the law of December 19, 2022, aimed at combating misuse and fraud within the personal training account (CPF), Decree No. 2023-1350 of December 28, 2023, introduces stricter regulations on subcontracting practices for training providers listed on the 'Mon compte formation' digital platform. This decree regulates how training providers can use subcontractors. It aims to make training providers more transparent and accountable for the quality of their subcontractors. To meet these requirements, training providers must declare their subcontractors to the Caisse des Dépôts, discontinue the use of Qualiopi portage, and adhere to more stringent criteria to be listed on the platform. Under the new rules, subcontracted training providers (with some exceptions for independent contractors) must hold the same certifications and authorisations as the primary training provider listed on 'Mon compte formation'. This specifically includes the Qualiopi certification.

The order of 30 April 2024 was issued regarding the annual reporting requirements for certifying bodies and labeling organisations. These reports must be submitted by March 1 each year to provide a comprehensive overview of activities.

The National Quality Reference Framework continues to be updated regularly. The latest version, published in January 2024, serves as a pedagogical tool to enhance understanding of the framework and standardise audit practices across organisations.