Monitoring VET graduates

In collaboration with higher education forecasting services, each year the Evaluation, Forecasting and Performance Department of the Ministry of National Education and Youth produces benchmarks and statistics related to the education system. A chapter of this report is dedicated to monitoring the integration of graduates into the job market.

Throughout the year, notes analysing trends and forecast analyses (including workforce forecasts, integration of apprentices) help inform decision-makers.

A report drawn up at the request of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation takes stock of the universities' mission of professional integration 10 years after the Law on the freedoms and responsibilities of universities (LRU). The report considers that universities have gradually developed from professionalising their programmes to taking into account the employability of their students. It also notes an increase in the employment rates of HE graduates from all disciplines between 2007 and 2016, but a markedly lower rate in the humanities and social sciences disciplines.

An innovative project, Inserjeunes, based on education and employment databases made it possible to calculate indicators (employment rate, completion rate) at the level of each institution. Inserjeunes is an online support service offering information useful for career guidance of young people, developed jointly by the statistical departments of the labour ministry and the education ministry. It provides information on all available training programmes (in VET schools and Apprentice training centres/CFA) to acquire vocational qualifications for entering the labour market; these range from the professional skills certificate (CAP/EFQ level 3) to the advanced technician certificate (BTS/level 5). The project meets the requirement of the Law of 5 September 2018, on the freedom to choose one's professional future, to provide statistical data (education path, integration rate into the labour market) per training establishment:

1. rate of continuation of studies,
2. rate of employment of young people at graduation,
3. data on the career paths of young people in the different training courses and
4. rate of early termination of apprenticeship contracts.

From 2022 this policy development is part of the national implementation plan (NIP), measure 'Develop all forms of training and particularly work-based training', action 'The contribution of national education to the development of apprenticeship'.

Since the academic year 2021/22, Inserjeunes indicators have been included in the 'Choosing your profession after grade 9' remote service (choisir son affectation après la troisième).

The results of Inserjeunes are published as information leaflets. They provide new, reliable and complete data on vocational training pathways for young people leading to VET qualifications (from the professional skills certificates, CAP/EQF level 3 to the higher technician certificate, BTS/EQF level 5) and on their professional integration. As an illustration: 61% of apprentices are in paid employment six months after completing their apprenticeship. The online support service is also a useful resource for guidance practitioners.

3 memoranda issued in December 2022 by the statistical department of the Ministry of Education (DEPP [Department of Evaluation, Forecasting and Performance]) provide details on the admission of vocational second school students and CAP / BTS apprentices as well as their career progression 6 months after having left school.

According to the Informational memorandum on the employment outcomes of vocational high school students with CAP to BTS-level qualifications, following data can be presented:

• 51% of vocational secondary school students enrolled in the final year of a course of study in 2020/21 continued their studies (+2% compared to the 2019/20 cohort; +5% compared to the 2018/19 cohort);
• 41% of those who left the school system were in employment six months later (+5% compared to the 2019/20 cohort); 40% of them were employed on permanent contracts.

According to the informational memorandum on the employment outcomes of apprentices with CAP to BTS-level qualifications, provided data is as follows:

• 39% of apprentices enrolled in the final year of a CAP to BTS-level course in 2020/21 continued their studies, mainly as part of an apprenticeship;
• 65% of those who did not pursue their studies, were in employment six months later (+4% compared to the 2019/20 cohort, particularly in the hotel-restaurant-tourism sector); 60% of them were on permanent contracts; 30% were working with the employer where they did their apprenticeship.

Based on the Informational memorandum on the two-year pathways of apprentices and high school students leaving vocational training at the CAP to BTS level in 2019, the derived data is outlined as follows:

• one out of every two apprentices and one out of every four vocational secondary school students were employed after six, 12, 18 and 24 months upon completing their apprenticeship;
• 16% of apprentices and 28% of vocational secondary school students were not in employment at any of these points.

Differences in employment outcomes were based on the most recent level of training taken, irrespective of whether a person obtained the specific qualification, the field of specialisation of the qualification and the socio-economic profile of the individual in question.

Another monitoring survey of young graduates, the Generation survey, is provided by the Centre for Research on Education, Training and Employment (CEREQ). This survey monitors the employment outcomes of generational cohorts.

The InserJeunes system continued to develop in order to improve the statistical monitoring of graduates from vocational education. This development has led to a better understanding of young people's career paths and have helped identify training programmes requiring adjustments to improve their alignment with labour market needs. For instance, the Vocational baccalaureate in management-administration, overly developed when put in perspective with the actual prospects for accessing an EQF Level 4 administrative job, has undergone a 50% staff cut by 2022. Other programmes have been reassessed, ensuring that training pathways better correspond to actual job opportunities.

Among the key developments, the update of indicators allowed for the integration of data on graduates from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 cohorts, providing detailed tracking of their employment and education status 6 and 12 months after leaving training. Data accessibility has been enhanced, allowing information to be consulted at the level of each institution, provided that student numbers are sufficient. Providing updated and accurate data to young people, their families, and vocational training stakeholders is greatly facilitating career guidance and support to VET learners towards employment.

The InserJeunes publications by the DEPP (Department of Evaluation, Forward Planning, and Performance) have released data (Notes 24.30 and 24.31 of July 2024), shedding light on the professional integration of VET upper secondary graduates and apprentices with qualifications ranging from CAP (EQF level 3) to BTS (EQF level 5) two years after graduation in 2021.

Findings reveal that for graduates from upper secondary VET, nearly 60% secured stable employment within two years, with success rates varying significantly by field of study. Apprentices in the same qualification range demonstrate even stronger integration, with over 80% in stable employment by the two-year mark post-studies. The data provided by the DEPP reports highlights the continued efficacy of apprenticeships in enhancing employability compared to traditional vocational training routes .

Regional collaborations are underway to leverage this data, analysing employment trends and skill requirements to tailor initial vocational training offerings to meet local labour market demands.