Apprenticeship reaches a new record in 2021 with more than 700.000 contracts

In the private sector, 698.000 contracts were recorded compared to 510.300 in 2020 and 354.000 in 2019, i.e. a near doubling in two years despite the Covid-19 health crisis.

Accessible to young people aged 16 to 29, apprenticeship is based on alternating between theoretical education and vocational training with the employer with whom the apprentice has signed his contract.

While France has long been very late compared to countries like Germany or Switzerland, "we have a real cultural revolution with a development of learning at all levels of diplomas", welcomed Ms. Terminal with AFP.

As in previous years, this increase is still driven by higher education, which represents 62% of apprenticeship contracts and where this path is financially advantageous compared to traditional studies.

But progression in higher education "is not at the expense of the baccalaureate and infra baccalaureate levels", where its effect on integration into employment is the strongest, underlines Ms. Borne. These levels are up 21% this year compared to 13% last year.

According to the latest figures from 2020, six out of ten young people are in employment six months after the end of their apprenticeship. “It is a privileged way to train by being paid with the key very often a job”, summarizes Ms. Borne.

The share of companies with less than 50 employees remains preponderant. While they represent only 19% of employment, they account for 66% of apprenticeship contracts.

More than 70% of apprentices are in services (commerce, management, banking, communication, catering, hairdressing, etc.), 15% in industry and 11% in construction.

For Ms. Borne, learning can still progress strongly in the years to come, especially in industry and construction "whose trades are still poorly known with a dated image of the factory". Improvements are still possible in terms of school guidance, even if the apprenticeship offers have gained visibility on the Affelnet and Parcoursup assignment software.

The record increase in contracts over the past two years can be explained in particular by the 2018 reform, which liberalized apprenticeship both in terms of entry conditions and training offer.

Nearly 1.500 apprentice training centers (CFA) have been created since then, without calling into question the viability of the 1.200 existing ones as some feared.

Financial imbalance

The strong rebound of the economy in 2021 has also pushed companies, faced with recruitment difficulties, to turn to apprenticeships.

This is all the more so since the exceptional aid decided during the crisis has been extended until June 30, 2022. This bonus - 5.000 euros for a minor, 8.000 for an adult - makes the cost of the first year almost zero for the employer .

The downside of success is that the system is not financially balanced.

The next executive will first have to decide on a possible extension beyond June of this aid paid to companies which have received nearly 4 billion euros.

In addition, when a young person and a company sign an apprenticeship contract, the CFA is guaranteed to have the financing of the training, via a level of support (5.000 euros for a CAP mason for example) offered by the professional branches and validated by the regulatory agency, France Competences.

Victim of this success, France Skills, which redistributes the money collected from companies and whose revenue was reduced during the crisis, had to receive a subsidy of 2,7 billion euros in 2021 and forecast a deficit of 3,7 billion in its 2022 budget.

“The next government will have to think about the apprenticeship financing model, but the momentum must absolutely not be broken. It is an investment that is worth it,” concludes Ms. Borne.