Regions resign from France Compétences to protest against the sharp cut in their funding

The representatives of the regions on the board of directors of France Compétences announced that they had resigned on Thursday, November 27, to protest against the sharp reduction in the resources allocated to them in the 2026 budget for apprenticeships.

The vice-president of the Grand Est region Valérie Debord and that of Nouvelle-Aquitaine Karine Desroses "announced their resignation from the board of France Compétences (the agency in charge of managing vocational training and apprenticeship, editor's note) after the adoption of the 2026 budget", indicated the association Regions of France.

Regions of France mentions a "halving of the allocations paid to them (...) for the financing of Apprenticeship Training Centres (CFA)", which would reduce their amount to 134 million euros.

When contacted for confirmation, France Compétences had not responded by late Thursday afternoon.

On Wednesday, Regions of France had asked in a letter to the Prime Minister to reconsider this drastic reduction in funding, asserting that the regions would no longer be able to "support the operation and investment projects of the CFA in 2026".

"The consequences would be dramatic for the training programs that the Regions support in areas where private money doesn't go, particularly rural areas and disadvantaged neighborhoods," reads the letter, sent to AFP. Regions of France estimates that 70.000 apprenticeship contracts could be eliminated as a result of this budget cut.

"We are heading towards the closure of training centers, and mostly in rural areas with small staff," Karine Desroses told AFP.

The association is also concerned about the 20% reduction in state funding for regional initiatives to train job seekers, as part of the draft finance bill currently under discussion.

Since 2020, apprenticeship training centers (CFA) have been financed by companies based on the number of contracts signed, and the State has replaced the regions to supplement this funding.

Since this reform, France Compétences' accounts have been in the red. Its 2024 activity report indicated that the financial year ended "with a deficit of approximately 622 million euros".

"We are approaching 12 billion in cumulative deficits since 2018," emphasizes Ms. Desroses, "but the regions are not responsible for the deficit of France Compétences."

Taking advantage of public aid, the number of apprentices in France has soared from 430.000 in 2017 to over one million in 2023.