- 2017Pilot
- 2018Legislative process
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Objectives
The measure aims to facilitate access for new graduates of the vocational baccalaureate wishing to enrol into the higher technical section (Section de technicien supérieur, STS).
Description
A new scheme for progression from upper secondary VET to tertiary technological education is being piloted, from September 2017, for three years in three education districts (académies). The aim is to allow students who obtained the baccalauréat (end of upper secondary diploma) in vocational education to pursue their studies in higher technological education (section de technicien supérieur, STS).
Previously, admission to higher technological education programmes was preferably granted to holders of the baccalauréat obtained in the secondary technological pathway. Admission to higher technological education is also normally based on selection by the higher technological education institution. In the pilot, the responsibility for the admission decision will be transferred to the student's vocational high school, meaning that the admission process is being changed from a selection process to an orientation/guidance process. The overall intention is to support students who had achieved a sufficient standard, certified by the teaching team in the final school year, to continue further study.
More young vocational baccalauréat holders applied to enter a higher technical section (section de technicien supérieur, STS) in 2018: +8.4% compared to 2017. Those who received at least one offer for admission to an STS programme were 28% more than in 2017.
An additional 2 000 places in STSs will be created every year until 2022, the target...
A new scheme for progression from upper secondary VET to tertiary technological education is being piloted, from September 2017, for three years in three education districts (académies). The aim is to allow students who obtained the baccalauréat (end of upper secondary diploma) in vocational education to pursue their studies in higher technological education (section de technicien supérieur, STS).
Previously, admission to higher technological education programmes was preferably granted to holders of the baccalauréat obtained in the secondary technological pathway. Admission to higher technological education is also normally based on selection by the higher technological education institution. In the pilot, the responsibility for the admission decision will be transferred to the student's vocational high school, meaning that the admission process is being changed from a selection process to an orientation/guidance process. The overall intention is to support students who had achieved a sufficient standard, certified by the teaching team in the final school year, to continue further study.
More young vocational baccalauréat holders applied to enter a higher technical section (section de technicien supérieur, STS) in 2018: +8.4% compared to 2017. Those who received at least one offer for admission to an STS programme were 28% more than in 2017.
An additional 2 000 places in STSs will be created every year until 2022, the target being to reach a stock of 10 000 places by 2021. In 2018, the Ministry of Education has announced the future creation of bridging classes where vocational baccalaureate graduates that cannot be allowed to join the STSs can prepare during one year for joining them later.
Additional information and guidance tools have also been put in place to ease transition from secondary education (including VET) to higher education.
The Law on student guidance and success, known as the ORE, promulgated in March 2018, changed the rules for university access for all baccalauréat holders. Its aim is to reduce the failure rate in the first year of study. This law gives universities the right to set prerequisites in terms of competences and knowledge for admission to programmes. Applicants who do not fulfil the requirements may be offered support.
Decree no 2019-215 of 21 March 2019 regulates the admission process to STS programmes: baccalauréat holders completing a bridge class programme can be admitted to an STS programme if, with advice from the teaching team, the head of the institution where this training was completed recommends it. Pilots were rolled out across all metropolitan areas in autumn 2019.
The reformed upper secondary VET path offers more guidance and support to learners and personalisation of their training pathways: over the training cycle, 265 hours are dedicated to the consolidation of skills acquired, personalised support and career planning.
To help students make an informed choice and build their post-baccalauréat career path, two modules are offered to them in the final year of the vocational baccalauréat: professional integration, and preparation for further studies. Since June 2019, two guides for the implementation of these training modules have been available online.
The measures put in place under the ORE law of 8 March 2018 relating to the guidance and success of students have transformed access to higher education by strengthening support for secondary school students in their choice of direction. A number of tools and resources useful for supporting secondary school students and informing families are available online.
The practical guide Parcoursup 2021: practical guide to support secondary school students brings together all the key information on the procedure for students from enrolment on the platform to the admission phase.
Resources to assist students in their career path selection and help them understand how Parcoursup 2022 works, are available online. These resources include practical guides, communication tools designed for teachers to engage students and their parents, as well as support systems for applicants with disabilities or health conditions.
2023 - Implementation phase
Alongside the opening of the Parcoursup platform on 18 January 2023, there is a dedicated information site. To meet users' needs, the Parcoursup platform now offers a new search engine as well as course descriptions to help applicants and their families find out more about courses and make informed choices.
Links to Inserjeunes indicators (employment rate, completion rate etc. at the level of each institution) have been incorporated into the Parcoursup platform
Opening of the Parcoursup platform on 18 January 2023, along with a dedicated information site. To meet users' needs, the Parcoursup platform now offers a new search engine as well as course descriptions to help applicants and their families find out more about courses and make informed choices.
Links to Inserjeunes indicators have been set up on the Parcoursup platform.
As part of the 12 measures aiming to make vocational upper secondary education a pathway to success, one of the key measures aims to significantly increase the number of places available for learners wishing to follow one-year specialisation (BAC +1) programmes leading to recognised qualifications. The target set is to move from 4 500 to 20 000 spots by the start of the 2026 academic year. This initiative is designed to enhance the professional integration of upper secondary graduates.
A 2023 study by the Centre for studies and research on qualifications (CEREQ), based on the Génération surveys on professional integration of graduates, highlights the advantages for young people who acquire additional VET qualifications after completing their vocational baccalaureate (EQF level 4) upper secondary programme in terms of:
- professional integration: 77% of those who acquired an additional vocational qualification after their baccalaureate have a more sustainable occupational integration, spending on average 34 out of 40 months in employment (compared to pathways where more labour market exit, late labour market entry or marginal employment are observed). In contrast, only 55% of graduates who entered the labour market directly after their vocational baccalaureate have similar employment success;
- salary expectations: on average, holders of a VET specialisation (Bac+1) earn more than those who entered the job market immediately after their vocational baccalaureate (respectively, a net monthly salary of EUR 1 500 compared to EUR 1 370);
- level of qualification on recruitment: 61% attain qualified worker status, while only 22% are classified as low-skilled. This contrasts with 40% of those who did not pursue further education and entered the job market directly after upper secondary education.
The new Parcoursup.gouv.fr, the national platform to apply for tertiary education studies, was launched in December 2023. The updated platform offers upper secondary graduates a comprehensive search engine to access training programmes. This tool aims to facilitate informed decision-making regarding educational pathways by offering:
- access to 23 000 State-controlled programmes, and detailed descriptions for each programme;
- search functionality: it is possible to filter by keywords, geographical area, and training modalities (such as boarding or distance learning);
- transparency in admissions: a candidacy analysis grid offers transparency in the selection process, and students can view admission rates for 2023 to gauge the selectivity of various programs.
The reform of VET upper secondary schools continues to roll out in the academic year 2024/25, introducing a new organisation of the training cycle for the vocational baccalaureate programmes. The reform focusses on enhancing student success in further studies through several key initiatives:
- weekly support: students in the first and second years will receive weekly support of one hour, while those in the final year (Terminale) will benefit from one hour and half of guidance to aid their transition to further studies;
- final year preparation: the last six weeks of the last school year will be reorganised into a differentiated preparation course, focusing on either professional insertion or further studies.
A service note dated 4 March 2024 details the objectives, expectations, and organisation of these preparatory courses for educational teams and their students.
The centralised admission process of upper secondary graduates to tertiary education through the new Parcoursup online platform was concluded on 12 September 2024. More proposals were made to a larger number of candidates, in a shorter timeframe. The number of study programmes offered on the Parcoursup platform were of 24 000 post-baccalaureate programmes, including apprenticeship programmes. The platform enabled to manage 945 500 applications made by individuals.
The acceptance rate for secondary school students is as high as it was in 2023. The vast majority of applicants graduated from upper secondary schools who expressed interest for several programmes (92.8%) received at least one admission offer (candidates may express interest for more than one study programme and may or not receive an offer). The vast majority of the other applicants already in higher education and seeking re-orientation (84.2% of those who expressed wishes) received at least one offer.
The National committee for access to higher education (CAES) provided support to applicants who did not receive an offer in finding a suitable programme. For VET graduates, a guidance and orientation scheme, Ambition Emploi, was already implemented in their schools in collaboration with the network of local PES services, Missions Locales, specialised in supporting the social and professional integration of young people.
As each year, an opinion survey conducted by one polling organisation (CSA Institute) gathered feedback from upper secondary graduates registered on Parcoursup. The survey provides direct insights into their experiences during the 2024 session and evaluates the new measures aimed at improving and simplifying the process. The results indicate a positive trend: identification of support mechanisms at the upper secondary school level improved by five points compared to 2023. Furthermore, 71% of respondents believe Parcoursup has facilitated the development of their professional orientation project (+2 points from 2023), while 76% feel that the platform has assisted them in making the transition to higher education (+2 points from 2023).
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research
- Ministry of National Education and Youth (until 2024)
- Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
- Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports (from 2020 till 2022)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Learners with disabilities
Thematic categories
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to ensuring smooth transitions (permeability) of learners within the entire education and training system, horizontally and vertically. It includes measures and policies allowing learners easily or by meeting certain conditions to move from general education programmes to VET and vice versa; to increase qualification levels in their vocation through the possibility of attending vocational programmes at higher levels, including professional degrees in higher education. It also covers opening up learning progression by introducing flexible pathways that are based on the validation and recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Transition from upper secondary VET to higher technological education: France. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/lt/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28232