Craftsmen call for the postponement of the cut in public funding for apprenticeships

"I solemnly call on the government to postpone this reduction and to launch a major consultation on the financing of apprenticeships", declared the president of CMA France, Joël Fourny, during a press conference.

"Failing that", he added, "the Chambers of Trades and Crafts will no longer be able to guarantee the reception of young people for the training courses that have become lacking at the start of the next school year - which would be a real heartbreak ".

Support levels had already fallen by 2,7% last year.

For CMA France, 57% of craft training, representing 55% of the number of apprentices in the sector, would become loss-making with this new drop.

CMA France first of all sees this as a danger for rare training courses that are already lacking, such as those of stained glass artist or organ builder, and in the longer term for the most widespread CAPs: baker, plumber, hairdresser or aesthetic professions .

Certainly the CFA (training centers for apprentices) still had comfortable margins of 2022% in 9, noted the general manager of CMA France, Julien Gondard. But they “serve in particular to invest in technical platforms, to be at the highest level of training technologies”, according to him.

With the planned reduction, "I'm afraid we'll go back to learning how to tie a leg of lamb on a piece of wood," lamented Mr. Fourny.

The 200.000 apprentices in the craft sector represent a quarter of apprentices in France. Four out of five of these young people find a job seven months after obtaining their diplomas and half will become business leaders, argues CMA France, whose 137 CFA trained 112.500 apprentices in 2022.

“I want to believe that it is still possible to find a solution,” concluded Mr. Fourny.

An opinion survey of nearly 6.300 craftsmen, unveiled Thursday by CMA France, shows that 63% of them are worried about the economic situation, like many bosses currently.

Main subjects of concern: the rise in the prices of raw materials (27%) and energy (15%) as well as a fall in the order book (16%). “16% is not a lot,” noted Mr. Gondard, but it could constitute “first warning signals”.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.