The introduction of alternance
Are you sure you know the “Alternance”?
In France, Alternance system attract many students each year, but what is an Alternance? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of it?
Alternance is an educational system specific in France, which is essentially a concept of half work and half study, students continue their studies at school while working in the company. That is to say, it makes it possible to train for a profession and to integrate more easily into the life and culture of the company, it is a training system based on a practical phase and a phase theoretical which alternate. It is a real gateway to employment and professional integration. In France, we generally call this system as “Alternance”.
Type of contract:
It takes the form of 2 types of contract : le contrat d’apprentissage or le contrat de professionnalisation. The terms of execution of these contracts differ in particular concerning the duration of the contract, the duration of the training and the associated remuneration.
To explain the difference simply, le contrat d’apprentissage relates only to initial training while the professionalization contract relates to continuing training. There are also big differences between the two in terms of salary, taxes, and age. Generally, students on a professional contract are older, the salary is higher and the taxation is heavier. It should be noted there is not an existence of taxable and shared funds. (i.e. total pay equals net pay.)
Working hours
Generally speaking, you will be in school 2 days a week and 3 days in a company, of course, it will also be adjusted appropriately depending on factors such as holidays and exams. Like normal employees, you will work 35 hours a week, which including class time.
Pour les salaires:
Le contrat d’apprentissage:
Le contrat de professionnalisation:
This is just a general situation, depending on the sector, some companies pay wages much higher than this standard, such as finance, banking, insurance, etc.
Advantages and disadvantages
The most important thing is that all or most of your tuition fees will be taken care of by OPCO, and after the Alternance, you can not only complete your studies, but also gain 1-3 years of work experience. Companies who are wishing to sign a Alternance program are ready to train this student, they will be very willing to offer a CDI contract after the end of the Alternance. And at the same time, because you have accumulated rich experience during alternance, your promotion will come sooner.
But since you have to obtain the same diplomas as those of the students in the initial training at the same time, your time is therefore compressed. You may be delayed in reviewing your homework because of work, or you may overlook some homework issues due to exam preparation, so you need to put in more effort and use your time more rationally.
In 2020, due to Covid-19, many companies cannot afford the wage costs of alternances when they cannot protect themselves. In order to support the company ， The French government has launched the [1 Jeune 1 Solution] policy ： companies will receive a national subsidy of 5,000 or 8,000 euros when hiring a student of alternance (between 07/01/2020 – 02/28/2021).
