The French VET (Vocational Education and Training) system contains several work-based and apprenticeship-type training programmes. However, there are dominantly two main and well established apprenticeship-type schemes integrating within the French work-based alternating training system (formantion en alternance): apprenticeship and professionalisation contracts. Both are employment contracts signed between the employer and the employed trainee (Arrighi & Mora, 2010a, 2010b; Monteil, 2014; Boudesseul, Cart, Couppié,Giret, Lemistre, Toutin & Werquin, 2014).

The apprenticeship contract scheme constitutes the second main component of the IVET (Initial Vocational education and Training) system after the school-based IVET. Its main aim is to facilitate the transition of young people from school to work by allowing those aged from 16 to 26 years (and over for handicapped people) to obtain certification-based vocational qualifications within the IVET system, through an alternation between on-the-job training (60% to 75% of the contractual time) and an apprenticeship training centre (CFA-Centre de Formation d'Apprentis) (Brochie & Romani, 2015; Arrighi & Ilardi , 2013; Bourdon, Guégnard & Michot, 2012; Steedmann, 2010).

Integrating within the CVT (Continuing Vocational Training) system, the “professionalisation contract” scheme is also a dual system based on alternation between on-the-job training (75% to 85% of the contractual time) and in-house training for the remaining time. It targets the professional integration or re-integration within the labour market of both young and older people (including long duration unemployed job-seekers and other disadvantaged individuals) by allowing them to have access to workplace learning and certification-based vocational qualifications (Pesonel, 2015; Costenoble & Toutin, 2012; European Commission, 2012).

This paper deals with the development and the inclusive performance of apprenticeship-type schemes within the French vocational alternating training system. It is an analytical investigation into the legal and institutional evolution, the training organisation and methods, the inclusive performance and the perspectives for future development of the two main components of the French work-based alternating training system: “apprenticeship contract” and “professionalisation contract” schemes.

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