The apprenticeship contract

• Young people aged 16 to 29
• Certain people may go into apprenticeship after the age of 29: apprentices preparing for a degree or qualification higher than the one obtained, disabled workers (no age limit), people planning to set up or take over a business.
• To facilitate the training of people with disabilities, some of the rules of the apprenticeship contract are adapted in the following areas:
  • the duration of the contract and working time  
  • the course itself

In addition, the age limit for concluding an apprenticeship contract does not apply when the contract is signed by a person who is recognised as a disabled worker and who benefits from the recognition of disabled worker status (RQTH).

• Any private sector company, including associations, can take on an apprentice if the employer declares that they are taking the necessary steps to organise the apprenticeship. In this respect, the employer must in particular guarantee that the company's equipment, the techniques used, the working conditions, health and safety conditions, and the professional and teaching skills of the apprenticeship supervisor allow satisfactory training
• The non-industrial and commercial public sector (including the three civil services) may also use apprenticeships under the conditions specified by Articles L. 6227-1 to L. 6227-12 and D. 6271-1 to D. 6272-2 of the French Labour Code; more details are available on the website of the French Ministry of the Civil Service.

The apprenticeship applies to :

• a higher education diploma: Advanced Vocational Training Certificate (BTS), university Bachelor of Technology (BUT), vocational Bachelor’s degrees, engineering degrees, business school degrees, etc
• a vocational qualification registered in the French Register of Vocational Certifications (RNCP), including all vocational qualifications under the responsibility of the Ministry of Employment.

The apprenticeship contract can be concluded for a limited period or as a permanent contract.

• A limited duration contract will run for the duration of the training cycle leading to the degree or qualification concerned.

The duration of the apprenticeship contract, when concluded for a limited period, can vary from 6 months to 3 years depending on the type of profession and the qualification.

• When concluded as part of a permanent contract, the contract begins with the apprenticeship period of a duration equivalent to the training course followed, without calling into question the special protection for the apprentice during their theoretical and practical training period.

At the end of the apprenticeship period, the contractual relationship between the employer and the employee will be governed by the provisions of the French Labour Code relating to the permanent contract under ordinary law, with the exception of those relating to the trial period (provisions resulting from the law of 5 March 2014).

Note : the duration of the contract or apprenticeship period may be shorter than the training cycle to take account of the apprentice's initial level of skills or skills acquired during mobility abroad, military activity in the operational reserve, civic service, voluntary military service or engagement as a voluntary firefighter.
This shortened period is to be formalised by a tripartite agreement signed by the training organisation, the employer and the apprentice, and where applicable their legal representative. This is attached to the apprenticeship contract

• For further information on the regulatory provisions of the apprenticeship contract

The holder of a professionalisation contract has the status of an employee. As such, the laws, regulations and collective agreement are applicable to them under the same conditions as to other employees, insofar as their provisions are not incompatible with the requirements of their training.

As such, the contract may include a trial period which must be mentioned in the professionalisation contract; this trial period is governed by the French Labour Code, depending on whether it is for a fixed-term or open-ended contract.

All the regulations concerning young workers under the age of 18 apply to minors on a professionalisation contract, in particular :

• Working time regulations  
• Prohibition of work on public holidays, unless exempted

The contract may be concluded on a part-time basis provided that the organisation of the part-time work does not hinder the acquisition of the qualification in question and that it complies with the conditions specific to the professionalisation contract, in particular as regards the duration of training in relation to the total duration of the contract.

The employment contract specifies the terms of the contract between the beneficiary and the employer.
The vocational training agreement defines the terms and conditions for the financial coverage of training costs between the employer and the training organisation.

At Université Gustave Eiffel, apprenticeship training agreements are established :

• By the university's apprenticeship service, for engineering degrees.
• By the university’s CFA partners, for the other degrees (BUT, Bachelor’s degrees, professional Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s). The biggest CFA partner in terms of number of apprentices is CFA Descartes