The vocational training market - France (2023)

1.2 The global market

The global vocational training market was valued at $***.* billion in **** , and is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.**% to ****.

Estimated growth in sales for the global professional training market World, **** - ****, in $ billions Source: ****

The market is divided as follows: the United States has the largest share at **%, followed byEurope at **%. The remaining **% is divided between the world's other regions. Growth has been characterized by uneven progress between the world's different regions. WhileAsia-Pacific andLatin America experienced rapid growth,North America andEurope were slower.

The global corporate training market is growing unevenly for a number of reasons. Firstly, economic conditions have proved more favorable in Asia-Pacific and Latin America than in North America and Europe. Secondly, companies in these regions are placing greater emphasis on learning and development (***) to more modern, effective and efficient eLearning solutions[***].

The main players in professional training worldwide are :

SUNLANDS Skillsoft Allen Communication Leaming Services Skills Training UK ProTrainings GP Strategies Corporation Wilson Learning Worldwide, Inc. Phoenix Training and Development Bauer Academy GBS Corporate Training Business Training Library, Inc. Franklin Covey Co. D*L Simplilearn Solutions City & Guilds Group[***]

Companies are stepping up their investment in employee development: they are realizing the importance of their employees' ...

1.3 The French market

The training market in France represents ** billion euros per year. Nearly **% of this amount, or **.* billion euros, comes from vocational training, delivered by over **,*** organizations[***].

sales growth in the vocational training market France, **** - ****, in € billion Source: ****

The vocational training sector is identified by NAF code **.**A, which covers the following types of continuing adult education:

vocational training for adults who have already entered working life ; internal training for public administrations[***].

2.1 The French participation rate in vocational training is well below the OECD average

In France, the rate of participation in vocational training is lower than the OECD average, with only **% of French people taking part in training each year, compared with an OECD average of **%.

Vocational training participation rates in OECD countries and France World, ****, in Source: ****

In OECD countries, **% of adults, whether employed or looking for work, take part in training. This rate is similar to the European Union average. However, there are significant disparities within Europe: Nordic countries, such as Sweden, have a high rate of participation in training (***), have much lower rates.

Within OECD countries, there are marked disparities between different socio-demographic groups in terms of training participation. This situation presents a major challenge for economic policies. Regardless of the overall level of participation in a country, skilled individuals are generally more inclined to engage in training. In countries with high levels of participation, this trend is further accentuated by the strong involvement of skilled individuals. Everywhere, the lack of qualifications creates a notable disadvantage for adults, making them particularly vulnerable in a context where the evolution of skills is crucial. This problem of inclusion is a phenomenon that can be observed in all OECD member countries[***].

Paradoxically, despite this low ...

2.2 Profile of French people who have taken vocational training courses

In ****, **% of the French population had undergone training. The most active age groups were **-** and **-**, with **% and **% respectively. These figures show that continuing education is a process that starts as soon as people leave school and continues throughout their professional careers.

The French train for a variety of reasons, including the enhancement of their skills (***) and those from higher socio-professional backgrounds.

What are the reasons why the French train? France, ****, in Source: ****

Development within the company (***) are also motivating factors for continuing education. These data suggest that continuing training is particularly important for professions requiring regular updating of skills and constantly evolving tools.

However, information on various aspects of professional training appears to be poorly understood by the French, with the cost of such training being the least well understood element. This suggests a fragility in the public's understanding of the subject, which could hinder access to such training for some.

In general, do you feel well or poorly informed about each of the following aspects of vocational training? France, ****, in Source: ****

According to the data collected, young people aged ** to ** have a significantly higher level of information than other age groups on all aspects of vocational training. Jobseekers, ...

2.3 The most popular vocational training courses

More than half of all employees have attended face-to-face training courses (***).

Type of training France, ****, in Source: ****

**% of French people have taken professional training courses at a distance, **% via digital learning and **% via a hybrid format. The majority of these courses lasted less than a month (***).

The company financed almost half of all employees (***), offers all workers the opportunity to acquire training rights from the moment they enter the job market, right through to retirement. The CPF aims to help individuals maintain their employability and secure their professional careers by enabling them to initiate training throughout their working lives[***].

The CPF is recognized and known by a large majority of French people, **% of whom have already heard of it.

Have you ever heard of the Compte Personnel de Formation (***)? France, ****, in Source: ****

However, awareness of the CPF is significantly lower among young people aged ** to **, an age bracket which includes a proportion of individuals who have not yet entered the job market.

By ****, a marked preference has emerged for training in the social, early childhood and medical fields, which are among the three most popular sectors. This trend reflects the desire of the French workforce to move into concrete professions ...

2.4 Professional training courses

Approximately as many working people are planning to undertake vocational training as have already done so. In fact, almost **% of working people are planning to pursue vocational training, with **% planning to do so in the coming year. This trend is more common among younger workers than among jobseekers. **% prefer to choose their training on their own, based on the information they find.

Who would you turn to for information if you had to undergo vocational training in the next few months or years? France, ****, in Source: ****

Working people favor three main players for their training: employers (***).

Nearly half of working people (***) are in favor of financing their professional training themselves, while **% are opposed.

Would you be prepared to pay for professional training yourself? France, ****, in Source: ****

It's worth noting that younger people are more likely to finance their professional training themselves.

3.1 Vocational training players

The players in the professional training sector fall into three categories:

Source: ****

We'll take a closer look at the players in this sector in the following sections.

3.2 Service providers contributing to skills development

Training organizations

The Ministry of Labor lists all training organizations and certifies all training courses eligible for the personal training account. These certifications are registered either in the Répertoire national des certifications professionnelles (***), two national directories under the responsibility of France compétences. In France, public bodies are responsible for implementing around **% of training initiatives. On the other hand, private organizations mainly target companies and their employees in the private sector, as well as jobseekers, for their training services.

Skills assessment centers

Skills assessment centers offer services to analyze an individual's professional and personal skills, aptitudes and motivations, with the aim of supporting a professional development or training project. These assessments, which are eligible for the personal training account, must be carried out by a service provider external to the individual's company. Skills assessment is accessible to a wide range of working people, including :

private-sector employees, including the self-employed ; jobseekers, who must apply via organizations such as Pôle emploi, APEC or Cap emploi; public-sector employees, including civil servants and non-tenured workers, who benefit from similar conditions to private-sector employees, albeit governed by specific regulations; anyone with a personal training account (***) can also benefit from a skills assessment[***].

Validation of ...

3.3 Financing players

The French government

The Skills Investment Plan, with a budget of nearly ** billion euros, embodies the French government's commitment to reinventing access to vocational training and employment. This multi-year strategic plan focuses on three main objectives:

developing skills for low-skilled jobseekers and young people with no qualifications, including those with disabilities and those living in priority neighborhoods or rural areas; meeting recruitment needs in short-staffed professions; retraining the workforce to keep pace with technological and ecological developments.

This approach aims to align vocational training with current economic and social challenges[***].

The Regions

In France, the Regions play a key role in coordinating vocational training policies within their territory. This responsibility is exercised in particular through the CPRDFOP (***). This mechanism enables them to structure and direct training provision in line with local economic needs and specificities. The law of March *, **** transformed the CPRDFOP into a tool that must integrate guidance with employment and training policies. The procedure for adopting this contract has been simplified and its themes have been enriched. In addition, it has been included in a quadripartite negotiation logic, allowing representatives of employee and employer trade unions to become signatories[***].

Skills operators

Since April *, ****, the eleven skills operators(***), with their ...

3.4 Newly dynamic establishments and workforce

As mentioned in *.*, the vocational training sector is part of the adult continuing education group, identified by NAF code **.**A. In this section, we'll be looking at trends in the number of establishments and the number of employees in this sector, which will give us an idea of trends in the vocational training market.

trend in the number of adult continuing education establishments France, **** - ****, in number of establishments Source: ****

The number of establishments providing continuing education for adults has been growing in France over the past ten years, rising from **,*** in **** to **,*** in ****, representing an increase of **.*%. Growth was rather slow from **** to ****, with an increase of just *.*%, then accelerated sharply from **** onwards, with an increase of **.*% between **** and ****.

evolution of salaried employees in the adult continuing education sector France, **** - ****, in number of employees Source: ****

The number of employees in the sector fell slightly between **** and ****, characterized by a *.*% decrease in headcount. This number then rose sharply, from **,*** in **** to ***,*** in ****, corresponding to an increase of **.*%. The adult continuing education sector is therefore a market characterized by recent dynamism, visible from **** onwards.

In terms of the geographical distribution of adult continuing education establishments, there is a very high concentration ...

4.1 Offer typology

A training organization is an entity that offers training courses designed to improve the skills and knowledge of individuals in various sectors and fields in France. These courses, which can be financed by individuals' personal training accounts, are available for the continuous acquisition of new skills. They are offered according to individual needs and preferences, including face-to-face, online and distance learning[***].

There are four main types of vocational training, described below:

Continuing professional development:

Continuing training is aimed primarily at qualified individuals seeking to diversify their skills, or at those already integrated into the job market, wishing to increase their level of qualification or acquire a recognized qualification. This segment includes employees, jobseekers, the self-employed, entrepreneurs and civil servants. The aim is either to obtain professional diplomas, or to improve their know-how.

The market is made up of both public and private providers, including local public educational establishments (***) under the aegis of the French Ministry of Education, affiliated establishments of the French Ministry of Education and the French Ministry of Culture.ducation nationale, establishments affiliated with the Ministries of Higher Education, Employment, Agriculture and Health, as well as chambers of commerce, industry, trade and agriculture. Private training companies, associations and independent ...

4.2 Offer price

As we saw in the previous section, there are different types of professional training, aimed at different players and corresponding to different costs. In the table below, we detail the prices of some of the most popular training courses listed in part *.*, offered by world leader Cegos:

Source: ****

Cegos also offers VAE at €*,*** excl. tax without support or €*,*** excl. tax with individual support[***].

4.3 New trends in vocational training

Integrating innovative methods into the development of training programs is crucial to maintaining their relevance and effectiveness. This approach enables vocational training provision to be adapted to the evolving needs of learners, ensuring that teaching methods remain aligned with contemporary demands and varied learning styles. In this section, we look at some recent trends in vocational training.

Real-time e-learning:

The rise of *G connectivity and advanced videoconferencing technologies in **** has significantly boosted real-time online training, a learning method offering a quasi-physical experience for participants. These technological advances enable learners to immerse themselves in interactive courses, workshops and seminars, facilitating direct interaction between trainers and learners. This immediate interaction encourages communication, dynamic exchanges and instant resolution of questions, promoting active participation and interactive distance learning.

Nevertheless, to ensure the effectiveness of this method, rigorous planning is required. This includes not only the technical aspects to ensure a smooth, uninterrupted connection, but also pedagogical preparation adapted to this format. By effectively integrating these technologies, real-time e-learning can offer a viable and rewarding alternative to traditional face-to-face learning[***].

Microlearning :

Microlearning, an innovative learning method, has transformed professional training with its brief, focused teaching sequences. This technique improves learning efficiency and flexibility by offering compact ...

5.1 General principles governing vocational training

The Law of September *, **** for the freedom to choose one's professional future, effective since January *ᵉʳ, ****, has significantly transformed the field of vocational training in France. This reform has altered both the governance of the training system and the interactions between the various players in the sector. It aims to support every individual in their career choices and aspirations, thereby facilitating their insertion or reintegration into the job market.

Major changes include the updating of existing systems, notably the Personal Training Account (***), which replaces professionalization periods. PRO-A is positioned as an appropriate response to rapid changes in the job market, facilitating the retraining and upskilling of employees.

Apprenticeship also plays a central role in this reform. The liberalization of the market for apprenticeship training organizations is designed to broaden and diversify the range of training on offer. Each apprenticeship contract benefits from a defined level of funding, thus encouraging organizations to offer high-quality training tailored to market needs. What's more, extending the age limit for apprenticeships to ** opens up this training option to a wider public.

Finally, the State plays a crucial role as guarantor of the proper use of public and mutualized funds allocated to vocational training. This supervision ensures that ...

5.2 How training programs work

Who can provide training?

Training can be provided either by a company for its own employees, or by an external training organization. In the case of training organized internally by the company, the latter can directly take charge of training its employees.

However, for external training, i.e. training that is not organized internally by the company for its own employees, it is imperative to use the services of an officially recognized training organization. These organizations must hold a registration number, which is assigned to them by the authorities once they have filed their declaration of activity, in accordance with article L. ****-* of the French Labor Code.

It is important to note that from January *ᵉʳ, ****, any training provision financed by skills operators (***), the Regions, or by Pôle emploi, must imperatively be carried out by "quality" certified training organizations, in accordance with the requirements of article L. ****-* of the French Labor Code. The aim of this "quality" certification requirement is to guarantee a high standard of training provision, thus ensuring a better match between the training courses on offer and the skills requirements of the labor market.

What are the training procedures for employees?

There are several ways in ...

6. Segmentation

• Cegos
• ID Formation
• Afortech
• Actesur
• Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie
• Chambres de Métiers et de l'Artisanat
• Lefebvre Dalloz Compétences
• AFPA
• INFREP
• CNED
• Crossknowledge (Wiley Group)
• Eduservices Groupe
• Eureka Education
• Ecole Terrade (Eureka Education Groupe)
• Abskill (Samsic)
• Cours Legendre (Alma learning group)
• Alma Learning Group