Joint meeting of the Directors-General for Vocational

Education and Training and

the Directors-General for Higher Education

« Expanding opportunities and raising skills: Opening pathways between VET and HE »

France

France -October 23rd 2012

Overall context• A national Directory for professional qualifications with

a registration under conditions: Qualifications corresponding to Degrees created in a partnership

framework bringing together social and economic partners. Among them, professional degrees of the French ministry for national education (EQF /Levels 3 and 4) and degrees the ministry for higher education and research is responsible for (EQF 5 and beyond)

Qualifications designed by training bodies or branches

• Different ways of access to professional qualifications: Initial vocational training (« lycées », universities, apprenticeship

contracts),

Continous vocational training,

Validation (or recognition) of prior learning

• An important actor : the « Régions » (local authorities with elected members), which structure and coordinate the overall vocational training offer locally.

Upper secondary education (3 or 2 years)

Higher educationHigher education

‘BacProfessionnel’

Vocational trackVocational track

‘CAP’

Counselling

‘BacTechnologique’

‘BacGénéral’

General track General track and technologically-oriented trackand technologically-oriented track

Lower secondary education : the “collège” (4 years from 11 to 15 years old)Lower secondary education : the “collège” (4 years from 11 to 15 years old)

Primary education (5 years from 6 to 11 years old)Primary education (5 years from 6 to 11 years old)

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Figures 2011Professional « Baccalauréat »

• Laureates from initial vocational training2011 = 128.000 students in « lycées professionnels »

(vocational high schools) and 20.000 apprentices (apprenticeship)

• Further studies in higher education for the holders of professional « baccalauréat »

2011 : 42 %, (with among them 39% studying to get a « Brevet de technicien supérieur » - or advanced technician certificate - (BTS – EQF/level 5)

2000 : 29 %

• 2 400 000 students in 2012 (academic fall) 34 000 students.

• The 1st cycle : 1 242 000 students, four main pillars. The ‘licences’ (universities) – ie : Bachelor’s degrees :

782 000 students – 3 300 different licences  The ‘diplômes universitaires de technologie’  - DUT -

(universities) – ie : university technology-oriented degrees - : 116 000 students – 24 different subject areas

The ‘brevets de technicien supérieur ’ – BTS - (‘lycées’/post-secondary education) – 262 000 students - 88 different subject areas

The ‘classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles’ – CPGE - (‘lycées’ / post-secondary education) – 82 000 students –

26 different sorts of programmes

1st cycle « Licence »’s programmes

A complex architecture of study programmes

0

1

2

3

Licence BTS DUT CPGE

63 % students

9% students

7% students

21 % students

Duration

Professional « baccalauréat » holders in higher education 1/2

• Baccalauréat holders not well prepared for higher education … Drop-out rate : 56 % (9% for the holders of a general

baccalauréat)

• … massively wishing to get into a post-secondary STS class – ‘section de technicien supérieur’ – for a BTS programme 80 % wishes for STS registrations

• … but whose wishes are rarely satisfied

Professional « baccalauréat » holders in higher education 2/2

• Increasing the access ratio for the most suited programme Making the access to the STS easier for the professional baccalauréat

holders Optimizing the seats left vacant

• Increasing the success ratio for the degree award (to-day : a 55 % success ratio for the holders of a professional ‘baccalauréat’ versus a 85% success ratio for the holders of a general baccalauréat) Adapting the teaching and learning methods and counselling students better

along their own learning processes

• Creating a 3rd way to get access to the degree award thanks to recognition of prior learning, after a 3 to 5 year- professional experience.