Behind the record figures, the life of apprentices remains to be improved, according to their representative

He will propose to the presidential candidates the creation of "a state secretariat for learning".

QUESTION: 718.000 new apprentices in 2021, an increase of 37% after 42% in 2020... Do you see it as a "cultural revolution" and a "success" of the five-year term like the Minister of Labor, Élisabeth Borne?

ANSWER: "The figures are very good, there is a revolution in the image of apprenticeship because it has been talked about a lot since the 2018 reform. This has facilitated young people's access to apprenticeship , especially in higher education, which now accounts for more than 60% of contracts.

This saves young people expensive training costs and helps them get a foothold in the business. For companies, it is very advantageous, it gives them a pre-recruitment, for example of an engineer in training at a very low salary compared to the salary once graduated.

Above all, since the reform, schools are guaranteed to receive funding for each contract signed. This explains the very strong increase in higher education: schools no longer need, to open a CFA (training center for apprentices), to have the approval of the regions, which feared the cost. There are, however, abuses by certain schools, in commerce or communication, which charge tuition fees even though it is illegal because the young person is an employee of the company which sends him for training.

But what is missing in higher education are complete learning paths, from college to Bac+5. Schools select young people from preparatory classes rather than BTS apprentices. For the social openness of schools, they should look for young people who have done everything in apprenticeship.

Q: The other explanation for this boom is the aid decided during the crisis, which makes recruiting an apprentice almost free. Are you asking for their extension beyond June 30?

A: We can hope that these aids, in addition to having saved apprenticeships during the crisis, have convinced employers.

But we are not for their extension because it is important that the employer is aware of the cost of an apprentice, it is an employee who must be considered as such. Otherwise, job interviews are very light, with the risk that the employer later realizes that things are not going well and decides to break the contract.

We would like the maximum of efforts to be concentrated on the baccalaureate and infra-baccalaureate levels, because this is where the added value of learning on integration into employment is the strongest.

Q: Are there any issues to resolve?

A: The contract termination rate remains high at bac and infrabac levels. In some trades such as catering, it is 40%. There are the working conditions, the apprenticeship supervisor who is often the boss and does not necessarily have the time to support the apprentice, etc. The apprentice has six months to find a contract with the help of his CFA but, in the meantime, he loses his salary.

Then, aid to apprentices for accommodation, food and equipment has decreased. Before the reform, the regions gave aid directly to all apprentices so that they could buy their toolbox or their computer. Now the aid goes through the CFA. If a small CFA does not have a restaurant, the young person receives nothing for his meal. Everyone is aware but nothing changes.

Finally, guidance reform is needed. The regions have received this competence to organize 54 hours of career discovery in middle school and high school. But the implementation seems really complicated between the regions and the National Education.