- 2015Approved/Agreed
- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Approved/Agreed
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
In initial vocational education and training, apprenticeships are a form of training alternating periods of theory education at apprenticeship training centres (centres des formations des apprentis, CFA) and practical training in the workplace (under an apprenticeship contract, contrat d'apprentissage). In the workplace, the apprentice is under the responsibility of an apprenticeship mentor (maître d'apprentissage). In the framework of the 'professional development contract' scheme, the person responsible for the young person is called 'tutor'. The apprentice mentor/tutor can be a company manager or an employee who contributes to their acquisition of professional skills.
In continuing training, the revival of work-based learning programmes requires greater recognition of the role of apprenticeship mentors and tutors in companies. There is a need for more employees in this role.
Objectives
The support systems for apprenticeship mentors/tutors are aimed at improving the integration of young people into the company, spreading the work-based learning culture, and improving employee retention.
Description
In initial vocational education and training apprenticeship schemes, learners receive guidance and support during their in-company training by professionals in the company they work. Depending on the scheme, these professionals are called mentors (within the apprenticeship contract scheme) or tutors (within the professionalisation contract scheme).
The role of apprenticeship mentor is recognised under the Citizen's commitment account (Compte d'engagement citoyen, CEC), which is part of the personal activity account (compte personnel d'activité, CPA). The Citizen's commitment account tracks voluntary activities undertaken by individuals, helping to recognise the skills gained through these activities and enabling access to funded training. To qualify for recognition under the Citizen's commitment account, a mentor must serve in this role for at least six months.
The 2018 law for the freedom to choose one's professional future supports mentors and tutors by making it easier for them to obtain certification through training or validation. In some cases, social partners and sector associations are involved in training and funding for these mentors and tutors.
To encourage more people to become apprenticeship mentors, various initiatives are in place within professional sectors.
To create a strong foundation for apprenticeship mentors in IVET, a 2015 circular established specific criteria for those working in the non-industrial and non-commercial public sectors.
Apprenticeship mentors must:
- be familiar with the apprentice recruitment process;
- complete prior training about their role's expectations;
- learn about their responsibilities during working hours;
- participate in exchanges with other mentors.
If there is no sectoral agreement, an apprenticeship mentor must either hold a relevant diploma or degree for the apprenticeship qualification (at least at the same level) and have two years of relevant professional experience, or have at least three years of relevant professional experience.
In 2015, the first national competition was established in the craft industry to enhance the recognition of apprenticeship mentors.
In 2016, the second competition in the craft indstry was organised to enhance the recognition of apprenticeship mentors.
The 2018 Law for the freedom to choose one's professional future supports mentors/tutors in companies accessing certification via training or validation. Social partners and sector associations are, in some cases, involved in managing the training and funding of mentors/tutors.
In initial VET, from 1 January 2019, access to the position of apprenticeship mentor (maître d'apprentissage) has been extended and simplified (Decree No. 2018-1138 of 13 December 2018). This has primarily been done by reducing the number of years of professional experience required: two years of professional experience related to the qualification for which the apprentice is studying (compared to three years previously) or one year of experience (compared to two years previously) for those holding a diploma or a qualification in the professional field corresponding to the diploma or qualification being studied for by the apprentice.
This is accompanied by the deployment of the apprenticeship mentor/tutor skills certification introduced by the order of 17th December 2018, which was developed by the labour ministry in cooperation with social partners, the apprentices training centres (CFAs) and the professional branches; it is included in the special directory of certifications and accreditations (RS) established by France Compétences. This certification aims to reduce the number of apprenticeships abandoned by apprentices/work-study students by strengthening support for them through improved professionalisation of apprenticeship mentors/tutors.
For companies with fewer than 50 employees, training expenses for tutors and apprenticeship mentors can be financed by a skills operator (OPCO) up to a limit of 40 hours at EUR 15/hour. This support covers tuition fees, remuneration, social security contributions, catering and accommodation costs.
For work as a tutor, support of up to EUR 230/month/work-study student may be provided for a maximum period of six months (12 months for an apprenticeship mentor.)
Moreover, the hours acquired towards the Citizen's commitment account (Compte d'engagement citoyen, CEC) are converted into euros at a rate of EUR 12. The ceiling is set at EUR 240 per calendar year, up to a total of EUR 720.
Certification recognises skills and secures career paths, expanding the potential mobility of apprenticeship mentors/tutors. The certification consists of nine skills, ranging from welcoming the apprentices, introducing them to the staff and the work, informing them of internal rules and practices, organising and planning their workstations, liaising with the apprentices training centres (CFA) and assessing the skills acquired.
Obtaining this certification is a real asset for the different players involved in apprenticeships: for mentors and tutors, it allows for better recognition of their skills and makes their career path more secure, and supports mobility; for branches and companies, it makes it possible to professionalise employees and encourage them to take on this role; for apprentices, it helps secure the success of their experience.
The measures related to the PD are operational and run as regular practices
The certification relating to apprentice mentor/tutor skills (maître d'apprenticessage/tuteur, MATU), created by the labour ministry, has been registered for five years, from 15 October 2021, in the specific register (répertoire spécifique des certifications et des habilitations, RS).
The Ministry of Labour (via the Carif Oref network) has conducted a survey on the professionalisation of apprentice training centres (CFA), which according to the Labour Code (art. L. 6231-2), are assigned with 14 different tasks (e.g. supporting and assisting apprenticeship applicants in their search for an employer; ensuring consistency between the training provided within the centre and that provided within the company etc.). The ultimate goal of this survey is, based on a self-assessment questionnaire the key players of CFA answered, to identify a range of services that complement the ones currently in place.
This survey process helps building a common set of core competences required to improve the quality of services offered to apprentices. The survey involved the heads of CFA networks, CFAs employees and apprenticeship advisors. Based on their responses, the majority of CFA respondents felt that they had made significant progress in implementing the 14 tasks, but they also indicated the need for further professionalisation, particularly in tackling external impediments, enhancing apprentice mobility and implementing anti-discrimination measures.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has mandated the Carif-Oref network to co-develop a professionalisation programme for apprenticeship training centres staff in 2023-24. This initiative targets directors, educational leaders, coordinators, and trainers at apprenticeship training centres in both mainland France and overseas territories.
The learning kits serve to synthesise, capitalise on, and structure existing information and resources—such as legal texts, infographics, and guides—related to the missions of apprenticeship training centres (CFA). These resources will be regularly updated and supplemented with region-specific kits to address local needs and contexts. The first resource kit was published in September 2023, focusing on supporting individuals with disabilities, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity in vocational training.
As part of the Carif-Oref network's professionalisation programme for apprenticeship training centre staff, a second set of resources was published in January 2024. It focuses on equality, diversity, and inclusivity within vocational training. Additionally, in 2024, a webinar was organised to address the rights and obligations of apprentices. Another webinar focused on health and safety regulations in the workplace.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Labour, Employment and Professional Integration (until 2022)
- Ministry of Labour, Full Employment and Inclusion
Target groups
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to measures aimed at engaging more professionals into teaching and training careers, including career schemes or incentives. It includes measures enabling teaching and training of staff, managing VET provider and trainer teams in companies to act as multipliers and mediators, and supporting their peers and/or local communities.
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 all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Supporting apprenticeship mentors and tutors: France. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28244