In industry, 5% of employees are work-study workers

At the end of 2023, the 29 branches of the industry (excluding agri-food) had 145.512 apprentices compared to 107.742 in all categories combined in 2020 (+35%), with an average age of 23 years, indicates the study released on the occasion of the Global Industry show which has been held in Villepinte, near Paris since Monday.

The progression mainly benefits high levels of training, from the Master's level, where 38% of new apprentices were aiming for such a diploma in 2023 compared to 34% in 2020.

The proportion of new apprentices at BTS level decreased slightly to 17% in 2023 compared to 21% in 2020, while it remained rather stable at other levels (9% compared to 8% at CAP and BEP level, 11%, stable at baccalaureate level, and 22% compared to 21% at the bachelor level).

The study also shows that 39% of new apprentices in the industry are girls, a little more than the sector average which only has 30% women in general.

OPCO2i is a joint organization created in 2019 to anticipate developments in employment in the industry, identify skills needs, support and provide a local service with companies in the 29 branches of the industry (automobile, aeronautics, chemistry, petroleum, steel, components, materials, metals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, etc.).

In 2022, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne had set the objective of reaching 1 million apprenticeship contracts per year by 2027.

Overall in all sectors of the economy (private and public), the total number of these current contracts, mainly intended for young people aged 16 to 29 in initial training, already amounted to 1,02 million at the end of 2023 compared to 661.542 as of December 31, 2020, according to a study by Dares (Directorate for the Animation of Research, Studies and Statistics) in February.

The number of new apprenticeship contracts amounted to 852.235 in 2023 compared to 530.904 in 2020.

In the 29 industrial branches alone, the number of new apprenticeship contracts amounted to 80.635 at the end of 2023 compared to 55.866 in 2020, specifies the OPCO2i study.

The number of professionalization contracts, mainly intended for people who have already left the education system in the process of requalification, amounted to 2023 at the end of 14.730 compared to 13.870 at the end of 2020 in industry.