Formation Continue du Supérieur

By marielk in Higher Education News. Social entrepreneurship is rapidly becoming a new buzz word on higher education. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) recently announced a new initiative focused on social entrepreneurship that will have a budget of £2 million, following up on earlier activities in the area. In cooperation with the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs (UnLtd) 56 highe education institutions have been selected to lift the social entrepreneurship initiatives in these institutions.
While social engagement has been recognised as an important part of the third mission of universities, the focus on particularly social entrepeneurship now appears to have become an important mode for such activities. Last week on the Hedda blog we covered the various massive open online courses available, and the most popular one at the moment – Coursera – is structured as social entrepeneurship initiative.
So what does this mean? In very basic terms, social entrepreneurship means that in a context of entrepreneurship, focus and measure of success is through achieving social change (often meaning a solution to particular social problem) rather than maximizing pure private profits. While often presented as a fundamentally different, Austin, Stevenson and Vei-Skillern argued that the difference between commercial and social entrepeneurship are not necessarily dichotomous, but they rather form a continuum where an initiative can be more or less focused by societal or commercial goals. They further note that social entrepreneurship initiatives tend to be conceptualized by their goal, rather than organisational forms, which can be varied.Historically, Mair and Marti traced some notable exceptions back to 1960s:  Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild founded in 1968 by Bill Strictland, Grameen bank founded in 1976 to combat poverty in Bangladesh (the founder Muhammed Yunus received the Nobel peace prize in 2006), as well as Ashoka founded in 1980 that provided seed funding for new entrepeneurs. Nevertheless, it is also pointed out that in the research literature social entrepreneurship is still a relatively fuzzy concept with no clear understanding of what counts as social entrepreneurship.
The fuzzyiness of the concept in research literature is in accord with the variety of different activities that received support in the HEFCE initiative: from awareness activities to specific courses that would teach social entrepreneurship. It appears that there is also a clear focus on achieving a greater relevance of universities in their regions. HEFCE website quotes David Sweeney who is  the director of Research, Knowledge Exchange and Skills, and he argued that: “This unique initiative builds upon HEFCE’s partnership with UnLtd and will help university staff and students use their talent and enthusiasm to make a difference in the wider community.”
In many ways the launch of the initiative echoes well with the debates on the relevance of universities in contemporary society. Political and administrative spheres are increasingly entering into the inner life of universities through for example standardization processes and increased accountability measures, creating an ever more unstable environment and questions about the role of universities in solving important societal problems.
In this context, a greater focus on social entrepreneurship can increase the opportunities for universities to contribute directly into achieving social change with the available expertise and knowledge, and not least – make this contribution clearly visible. However, this also means that more focus in higher education studies could be put into understanding the dynamics of social entrepreneurship in higher education.

The Group of Eight (Go8), a network of the eight large research universities in Australia, has announced a round of scholarships for young scholarships from selected countries in Europe.
The Fellowships are open to early career researchers from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Russia and Croatia. Please note that both your country of residence and employment, and country of origin should be one of these countries (does not have to be the same country). You can read more about the eligibility requirements here.
Each fellow will receive benefits worth up to $20,000 to travel to Australia and work at selected Australian universities for up to 6 months. A potential target destination for higher education researchers is the LH Martin Institute in University of Melbourne. The research conducted there is mainly focused on higher education management and leadership, including themes such as professional development, productivity, relationship between higher and vocational education, performance measurement, and strategic management.
Application deadline 19th of October 2012
More information on the scholarship website or download the brochure here.

By EAIE. The EAIE is committed to recognising the outstanding contributions of professionals and institutions working in internationalisation of higher education. Each year, the EAIE presents awards to individuals and institutions which have ‘gone the extra mile’ for international higher education, officially honouring them at the Annual EAIE Conference. Here, the EAIE is proud to introduce the innovative university and the remarkable professionals who have been pursuing outstanding endeavours.
Institutional Award
Brand new to 2012, the Institutional Award recognises and rewards higher education institutions which are actively engaged in the practice of internationalisation. The first Institutional Award goes to Masaryk University, Czech Republic, which has shown a truly international vision and mission, and a clear and measurable international strategy. Masaryk University has built an enormous and impressive list of international partnerships, being actively involved in numerous networks and in coordinating or partnering in Erasmus Mundus Action 2. The university has implemented its strategy through a concise and clever planning with impact on staff development, international student integration and international teacher support. The Committee believes that Masaryk University sets an excellent example of how to implement an international strategy for many institutions in Europe and beyond.
Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership
This award, which recognises inspiring leaders, goes to Bernd Wächter from Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), Belgium. Bernd constantly adds new issues to the internationalisation agenda of higher education and is always one or two steps ahead of the other players in the field. He is the initiator of numerous research studies, innovative projects and publications, with a focus on mobility. He is always willing to share his ideas, knowledge and experience at numerous events and he does this in his own remarkable style with humour and passion.
Transatlantic Leadership Award
Designed to reward active EAIE members who have provided significant leadership to educational exchange between Europe and North America, the 2012 Transatlantic Leadership Award goes to Anders Uhrskov from the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, Denmark and John Yopp, from the University of Kentucky, USA.
Anders Urhskov has been active in the field of higher education for more than 30 years. He is a strong believer in transatlantic cooperation and his work for the Danish Institute for Study Abroad is an excellent example for many of us. He does not only talk about transatlantic ideas and potentials but masterfully realises them on a regular basis.
John Yopp is a champion of transatlantic cooperation, having dedicated his work to this field for more than 10 years. He is a well known reference on transatlantic cooperation with facts, statistics and in-depth studies. His numerous presentations are mainly focused on the road map for effective cooperation between the USA and Europe.
Rising Star Award
Honouring those who are new to the EAIE (membership of less than five years) who have already made a notable contribution to international education, the 2012 Rising Star Award goes to Ramon Ellenbroek from the VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Ramon is a great example of an enthusiastic and highly active professional. He is involved in initiatives such as the set up of the EAIE mentorship programme – a platform for individuals new to their positions in international higher education and experienced professionals to develop supportive relationships – as well as the EAIE outreach projects for the wider region around Turkey, aimed at internationalising the higher education in the area.
President’s Award
Recognised for her remarkable contribution and dedication to the EAIE, Laura Ripoll receives the 2012 Presidents’ Award. An active member of the EAIE since 1994, Laura has shared her skills and experience through deep involvement with the Professional Development Committee, the Publications Committee, and through sitting on the boards of the former EAIE Professional Section European Educational Programme Coordinators (EEPC) and the current EAIE Professional Section Management of Programmes in Lifelong Learning Education (MOPILE). The EAIE would like to congratulate all 2012 Award winners and looks forward to presenting their awards in Dublin this September at the 24th Annual EAIE Conference.
Award winner biographies

Masaryk University (MU), located in Brno, the Czech Republic, was established in 1919, and with its nine faculties and almost 45 000 students is currently the second largest Czech university. Masaryk University offers degrees in a wide range of both traditional and newly-emerging disciplines. In recent years it has consistently attracted record numbers of applicants and has come to be recognised as one of the major Central European universities. MU was awarded the DS Label in 2009 and the ECTS Label in 2010.

Bernd Wächter is Director of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), Belgium. He worked for the University of Kassel, the British Council, and the Fachhochschule Darmstadt, before joining DAAD as the head of their EU division. He subsequently became the Director for Higher Education (Erasmus) in the Brussels Socrates Office. In 1998, he took up his present post as ACA Director. Bernd Wächter is the editor of the ACA Papers on International Cooperation in Education and has published and lectured widely on international higher education.

Anders Uhrskov, has been with the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) as Academic Director since 1978 and as Director since 1987. He published The Concept of Work, Historically and Current in 1997 as well as numerous essays and articles. With Anders as leader, DIS has developed to be one of the largest and most innovative study abroad programmes in Europe for US undergraduate students.

John H. Yopp is Immediate Past Associate Provost for Educational Partnerships and International Affairs at the University of Kentucky. He serves on the Directors’, Trustees’, and Advisory Boards of CIEE, Goldwater Foundation (US Senate), and Lumina’s Tuning USA, respectively. A long-time presenter for EAIE’s NAFSA workshops, his research on ‘Bologna’s influence on US higher education and university internationalisation’ has been presented in conferences of US-European Fulbright Commissions, EAIE, NAFSA, AACRAO, AIEA, and CGS.

Ramon Ellenbroek is Coordinator for the International Office of the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences of the VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Presently, his focus is on the development of double/joint degree programmes (MSc/PhD), Erasmus Mundus and increasing mobility in Bachelor’s programmes. Ramon will be a trainer at the EAIE Academy in Porto this November, is member of the Board of the EAIE International Relations Managers (IRM) Professional Section and will be Vice-Chair of IRM as of September 2012.
Laura Ripoll is Head of the Office for International Affairs at the Universitat de Girona and Managing Director of Prime Networking. Born in Barcelona, she gained degrees in Teaching (UAB, 1980), Catalan Philology (UAB, 1983) and Librarian studies (UB, 1986). Prior to her current position, Laura worked as a librarian and as a manager of a one of the UdG research Institutes. Laura has been deeply involved in the edition of several publications, ranging from book to magazines.

4th Annual MENA-AIR Conference Doha 2012
Dear MENA-AIR Members,
Please mark your calendars for our 4th Annual Conference of the Middle East and North Africa Association for Institutional Research, to be held at Qatar University, Doha, Qatar, on November 8 and 9, 2012. A pre-conference workshop will be held on November 7, 2012.
Innovations in Institutional Research - Promoting Institutional Effectiveness in the MENA Region
The conference committee is at work on creating what promises to be an exciting program addressing challenges facing institutional research as well as innovations in the field. The three-day conference represents a platform to share knowledge and experience and enhance cooperation between higher education institutions throughout the region.
We invite you to come learn, share and help shape the future of institutional research in the Middle East and North Africa. Registration.
Call for Abstacts
Innovations in Institutional Research: Promoting Institutional Effectiveness in the MENA Region November 7-9, 2012, Qatar University.
The Middle East and North Africa Association for Institutional Research (MENA-AIR) will hold its fourth annual conference November 7-9, 2012, at Qatar University titled “Innovations in Institutional Research: Promoting Institutional Effectiveness in the MENA Region.”
Scholars and practitioners in the field of Institutional Research, Institutional Assessment, and other relevant academic and administrative fields are invited to submit an abstract for the conference. Institutional Research is a cornerstone of institutional effectiveness and development of higher education in the Arab world. Evidence-based decision making is crucial to institutional change, quality enhancement, and higher education reform processes, particularly in emerging higher education sectors experiencing dramatic growth. This conference seeks to identify best practices, trends, and emerging perspectives in Institutional Research in order to address the unique challenges and opportunities facing higher education in the MENA region today. Conference participants addressing the following topics are encouraged to submit an abstract, though consideration will be given to all abstracts submitted:
Beyond data gathering: defining institutional effectiveness
Best practices and case studies in embedding institutional effectiveness
The role of technology in data mining and reporting
Quality assurance, quality audit, and accreditation efforts: selected cases, national differences
Learning outcomes and institutional assessment
Point-of-service assessment
Student, alumni, and employer satisfaction
Conference participants are kindly asked to submit a 250-300 word abstract outlining their presentation of approximately 20 minutes in length. The deadline for abstract submissions is September 15, 2012. Please send an abstract with a separate attachment listing your name, institutional affiliation, and title to gabdelnour@ndu.edu.lb. Presenters must be registered for the conference at the time of presentation. For more information on MENA-AIR please visit the association’s web site at http://mena-air.org/MENA-AIR/. Conference details will be posted soon at http://mena-air.org/MENA-AIR/content/4th-annual-mena-air-conference-doha...

14-15 March 2013 - AHELO Conference, Skills for life: Can we test students globally, and how? co-hosted by the HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, the Netherlands. Invitation only event. For more information, please contact ahelo@oecd.org.
Phase 2 of AHELO is out of the starting gate. Follow its progress here.
Testing student and university performance globally: OECD’s AHELO
What is AHELO?
The Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes will test what students in higher education know and can do upon graduation. More than a ranking, AHELO is a direct evaluation of student performance. It will provide data on the relevance and quality of teaching and learning in higher education. The test aims to be global and valid across diverse cultures, languages and different types of institutions.
AHELO will be a tool for:
    Universities: to assess and improve their teaching.
    Students: to make better choices in selecting institutions.
    Policy-makers: to make sure that the considerable amounts spent on higher education are spent efficiently.
    Employers: to know if the skills of the graduates entering the job market match labour market needs.
Why now and why the OECD?
Governments and individuals have never invested more in higher education. No reliable international data exists on the outcomes of learning and the few studies that do exist are nationally focused. Available rankings reflect neither the quality of teaching and learning nor the diversity of institutions.
For more than 40 years, the OECD has been one of the largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistics as well as economic and social data. The Directorate for Education has ample experience is this area with projects such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing the knowledge and skills of 15 year olds and the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).
Methods
The test will look at:
- Generic skills common to all students, such as:
Critical thinking
Analytical reasoning
Problem-solving
Written communication
- Discipline-specific skills (in economics and engineering for the feasibility study)
- Contextual information to link the data to student backgrounds and learning environments.
The value-added measurement: What each university brings to the learning process
Top universities that attract A+ students and turn out A+ graduate surprise no one. But what about universities that accept B+ students and produce A+ graduates? Which is doing the better job?
AHELO aims to assess both inputs and outputs: what a student brings to a degree programme is as important as what with he or she graduates. The success of a student’s education is greatly influenced by supportive teachers, available resources and an environment conducive to learning (or the lack thereof). By assessing students’ learning gain, a more accurate measure of quality can be determined.
Value-added - or learning gain - will not be measured during the feasibility study. The feasibility study will rather explore the various methodological approaches, potential data sources and psychometric evidence with a view to providing guidance in developing a value-added measurement approach if AHELO does indeed become a full-fledged study. Find out more on the the assessment and the instruments here.
Participation
Students will be tested at the undergraduate level (nearing the end of their first 3-or 4-year-degree).
Universities: for the purpose of the feasibility study, approximately 150 higher education institutions will be involved (up to 10 in each of the 17 participating countries). Participation will be extended to many more institutions in the case of a full-fledged AHELO. Participation is voluntary. If your university would like to be kept informed of the possibility for future participation, please contact ahelo@oecd.org. Higher education institutions are also involved in the management of the feasibility study. AHELO is being developed within the Institutional Management of Higher Education (IMHE) programme and under its Governing Board which includes members from governments as well as from higher education institutions.
Countries: 17 countries representing a wide range of cultures and languages are participating in the feasibility study. Participation in the feasibility study is no longer possible because fiedlwork is now underway. However if your country wants to know more about future participation, please contact ahelo@oecd.org.
Stakeholders: the OECD has invited a group of organisations with a stake or interest in higher education to join the AHELO Stakeholders Consultative Group. It is a channel through which information about AHELO can be presented and discussed with these organisations. It is also a forum in which those stakeholders can raise and formulate ideas on how the study can be implemented. Members of this group include international associations of quality assurance agencies, student organisations, universities, employers and unions, as well as representatives of the engineering and economics professions.
Results
While AHELO takes a similar approach to other OECD assessments (like PISA) in that it will assess student knowledge and skills directly, currently it is only a feasibility study and will not provide information at national or system level. The focus will be on institutions and will not allow for comparisons at national level. AHELO is not a ranking and will not provide league tables. At the feasibility study stage, participating institutions will be provided with anonymous data to allow them to benchmark their performance against that of their peers.
What we have learnt so far
The preliminary findings of the first phase of the feasibility study have been released in the interim feasibility report. A "highlights" version has also been prepared.
Timeline
Phase 1 - January 2010 to June 2011 - development of testing instruments for the generic and discipline-specific skills in economics and engineering and small-scale validation of these instruments.
Phase 2 - January 2011 to December 2012 - administration of the tests (and contextual questionnaires) in participating institutions.
Feasibility study conference on 14-15 March 2013 in Utrecht (Netherlands) to discuss the findings of the feasibility study: Is the assessment scientifically and practically possible? For more, see the evaluation criteria used to answer this question.
Conclusion: based on the results of the feasibility study, OECD member countries will decide whether to delve deeper into the subject as well as set out steps towards conducting a full-scale AHELO.
Financing
The work of the feasibility study has been financed by the participating countries and through generous contributions from Lumina Foundation for Education (United States), Compagnia di San Paolo (Italy), Hewlett Foundation (United States), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal), Riksbankens Jubileumsfund (Sweden), the Spencer Foundation (United States), the Teagle Foundation as well as the Higher Education Founding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Higher Education Authority of Ireland (HEA). Testimonials from our sponsors and benefits of sponsoring AHELO are available here.
Find out more
- Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
- AHELO Brochure
- Latest detailed project update (May 2012)
- Latest AHELO Newsletter
- AHELO in the news: Media buzz
- Reports and documents
- Who's who in AHELO: the governance of the project and the different groups involved.
- The AHELO Team.
Contact us
Contact ahelo@oecd.org with any questions, to express interest in participating, to become a sponsor, or be placed on our mailing list. Permanent URL of this page: www.oecd.org/edu/ahelo.
Related Documents
The AHELO Feasibility Study instruments
AHELO Frequently Asked Questions
Countries participating in the AHELO feasibility study
AHELO reports and documents
AHELO Media Buzz
Help us improve higher education – Sponsor AHELO.

Compare and learn more about the European national vocational education and training systems. VET in Europe - Country reports are a product of the VET in Europe project and review vocational education and training systems in Member States, Iceland and Norway. They are prepared and updated by ReferNet, according to a common structure provided by Cedefop.
France – Country Report 2011. Author: ReferNet France
Abstract: This is an overview of the VET system in France. Information is presented according to the following
themes:
1. General context – framework for the knowledge society
2. Policy development – objectives, frameworks, mechanisms, priorities
3. VET in times of crisis
4. Legislative and Institutional framework – provision of learning opportunities
5. Initial vocational education and training
6. Continuing vocational education and training for adults
7. Training VET teachers and trainers
8. Matching VET provision with labour market needs
9. Guidance and counselling for learning, career and employment
10. Financing - investment in human resources
11. National VET statistics – allocation of programmes
This overview has been prepared in 2010 and its reference year is 2009. Similar overviews of previous years can be viewed at: http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/. More detailed thematic information on the VET systems of the EU can also be found at: http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/.
5.7 Vocational Education And Training At Tertiary Level
Higher education is possible in universities, public or private higher colleges, some of which are called grandes écoles.
- Universities accept students without any selection process - except for medical, dental and pharmaceutical disciplines and technological university institutes. The entry requirements are the baccalauréat, or the diplôme d'accès aux études universitaires - DAEU (Diplôme d'Accès aux Etudes Universitaires - diploma to access to university's education) - see § 1.5 or an equivalent qualification. It’s not possible tio acces to high education with a CAP (Certificat d'Aptitudes professionnelles - Professional Skills Certificate), BP (Brevet de technicien - Technician's Certificate) or a “mention complémentaire”.
Studies are split into semesters and course units for which the student is awarded credits. A degree is awarded to students who obtain 180 credits, normally over a period of three years. 300 credits are needed to obtain a masters degree - or 120, more than needed for a first degree, over two additional years study.
There is a professional master degree leading to employment, and research masters which permit following a doctorate over a three-year period.
According to the Bologna process, France began to adapt the diplomas on 3 levels (licence, master and doctorate). There is also a vocational licence leading to employment, and research masters which permit following a doctorate over a three-year period.
- Technology university institutes attached to universities have a student selection process and prepare them in two years for a DUT (Diplôme Universitaire de technologie - Technological University Diploma) designed to provide entry into working life. DUT (Diplôme Universitaire de technologie - Technological University Diploma) designed to provide entry into working life.
Students who graduated DUT can study for a further one-year period to obtain a new qualification created in 1999 under the Bologna process to build a European higher education area.
University enrolment rights are limited and some students can obtain a financial assistance in the form of grants based on social criteria, university criteria or of interest-free loans on trust.
- There are also establishments supervised by the various ministries which have selective process and provide higher education.
These establishments offer short forms of education: in technology, business and paramedical disciplines or a high level long-term education: political institutes, engineering schools, business and management schools, veterinary schools etc.
- Private establishments must be issued with a legal declaration of opening. These establishments are highly diversified and have in common a rigorous selective process.
Entry to the most prestigious higher education colleges, known as "grandes écoles" is by competition prepared in two years in Classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles.
5.4 Apprenticeship Training
"The apprenticeship contract is a particular type of employment contract made between an apprentice and an employer. The employer undertakes, apart from the payment of a salary, to provide the apprentice with complete vocational training, given in part within the company and in part in an apprentice training centre or apprenticeship department of an education establishment. In return, the apprentice undertakes for his training, to work for this employer for the duration of the contract and to do this training course" (article L. 6221-1of the labour Code)
Apprenticeship contracts are mainly aimed at young people under 26 in initial training. They enable diplomas or certificates listed in the national directory of vocational certificates to be obtained which range from the CAP (Certificat d'Aptitudes professionnelles - Professional Skills Certificate) (level 5 in the 1969 French nomenclature, equivalent to level 3 of the European certification framework) to diplomas awarded by universities or 'grandes écoles' (selective universities) (level 7 or 8 of the EQF).
This contract, that may be entered into with an employer from the private or public sector (local authorities, hospitals, the armed services etc), is for a period of between one (apart from exemptions) to three years depending on the duration of the training stage being studied for and the apprentice's initial qualification. In 2006, 72.7% of apprenticeship contracts signed, are for a period of between one and two years, 15.2 are shorter than a year (Source: DARES).
It may be modulated according to the initial skill level of the youngsters.
Apprentices are aged between 16 (end of compulsory education) and 25. These age limits may however be brought forward (in particular where the first stage of secondary education has been completed) or put back in certain cases (disabled workers and creators of companies for example).
The theoretical training period in an apprentices' training centre (CFA) (managed by a local chamber of commerce, a professional sector etc), apprenticeship department (in vocational high-school) or in an apprentices' training unit (in higher education) cover around 25% of the duration of the contract (a minimum of 400 hours per year). 51.5 % of CFA are private, 32.8 of CFA are controlled by chamber of commerce and industry or of Agriculture, 12.5 by public school or university. CFAs CFAs (Centre de formation d'apprentis - apprentice's training center) are subject to the educational supervision of the State (Ministère de l'éducation nationale) and the technical and financial supervision of the State or the regional authorities. Training is mainly funded through an apprentice tax paid by all businesses. An employer may, moreover, benefit from exemptions from payroll contributions, consideration paid by the département council and other financial incentives according to the case and the economic situation in the apprenticeship market.
The period of practical training in the company is carried out under the responsibility of an apprentice supervisor who fulfils the role of tutor and has the teaching and vocational competencies required by the law. In the event of the employer or apprentice supervisor not complying with their obligations, the apprenticeship contract may be suspended or even terminated by the labour inspectorate.
Apprentices are paid from between 25% to 78% of the minimum salary according to their age and progress in the training stage.
On February 2010, 8 months after leaving a CFA (Centre de formation d'apprentis - apprentice's training center), 70% of the apprentices (with all types of qualifications) were in employment.
In 1st February 2010, 60,5 % of the leavers who achieved their apprentiship at the start of new school year 2008 are employed, against 64,2% the previous year. 54.8% were in unassisted employment, 5.7% were in assisted employment, 2.9% were involved in training periods, 36.7 % were jobseekers.
6.2 Non-Formal Education
In France there is no specific program related to non-formal education. Prescribers training are the same: state, regions, employment centre, and business. They have the ability to schedule non-formal training, but they will not be identified as such and there is no specific stastistics to separate the skill training from non-qualifying. The status of a probationer does not depend on formal or non formal.
Nevertheless, France created 2 systems for accrediting and validating non-formal/informal learning (Validation des acquis de l’expérience –VAE).
The first one is to obtain an access to high education (validation of prior learning) and the second one to obtain totally or partially a diploma.
The law of 22 July 1992 on validation of professional experience introduced a system of dispensations for credits leading to qualifications where such are awarded by the Education and Agriculture Ministries. These conditions have been extended to cover all certifications recognised at national level and included in the RNCP (répertoire national des certifications professionnelles - National Directory of professional certifications).
The social modernisation law of 17 January 2002, states that any person with a least three years’ paid or voluntary experience may be granted part or all of a professional certification from the national certifications directory (diplomas, degrees or certificates) on the basis of his/her experience.
Under this system, each individual can ask to have his previous experience recognised. Any person taking part in the active world – whether a jobseeker, an employee or a volunteer worker – can have experience acquired over a period of at least three years validated, in order to gain partial or full exemption from coursework required for a diploma, certification or qualification certificate awarded by a professional branch. This qualification method carries the same dignity and weight as do traditional schooling or university studies, apprenticeships or CVET.
This competency-evaluation procedure is organised by the authorities, ministries or other bodies with responsibility for awarding certifications. The evaluation may be conducted based on the contents of the application or on a real or simulated work situation. The validation is decided by a board composed of teachers and professionals.
For secondary-level qualifications, dispensations or examination postponements are authorised by Ministries, which, in the regions, are responsible for organising examinations. Concerning higher education, individual universities examine candidates’ entry applications. In 2009, the number of candidates increased by 7 points (57,000 in 2009 compared to 53,000 in 2008). Since 2002, 168,000 candidates have been certified thanks to the VAE After an increase phase until 2005 (+ 65% of certified candidates between 2003 and 2004 + 28% between 2004 and 2005) it increases slowly with a slight rebound in 2009 (32 000 VAE certification in 2009, 10% more than in 2008). They were 15% more between 2005 and 2006, over 16% between 2006 and 2007 and 3% from 2007 to 2008. Source: Budget Plan for 2011-Ministry of Employment
We notice that participation rate in non-formal education and training is more important in France than in Europe, on average and according ISCED.
The skills audit (BDC – Bilan de compétences) can help employees and job-seekers looking to define their career or training development plan. The skills audit allows the persons to define a professional project and, if necessary, a project of training. To reach this purpose, the implemented actions of skills audit aim to analyze the professional and personal skills of the person as well as his capacities and motivations.
In 2007, 194 000 skills audit were realized among which 32,5 % (63 000) by the network of the CIBC (Centre Interinstitutionnel de Bilan de Compétences - inter-institutional skills audit centres). Sources: Dares, Premières synthèses - October, 09, n°40-4.
Both of these measures (VAE and Bilan de compétences – BDC) can be implementing by the employee (leave) or by the employer (training plan).
The leave represents a discontinuous period of 24 hours during which the employee realizes the audit or prepare the file of his demand of VAE. During this period, the employee receive an allowance from the OPCA.
Beneficiaries of a skills audit are mainly employees (more than 50%). They are between 25 and 44 years old (78%). Women account for 67% of these people. Over 70% of the skills audit are followed outside working time. Financial assistance for a skills audit amounts to 1428 euros (-13%) for a person on a permanent contract and 1569 euros for a person on a fixed-term contract. Source: Budget Plan for 2011-Ministry of Employment

Compare and learn more about the European national vocational education and training systems
VET in Europe - Country reports are a product of the VET in Europe project and review vocational education and training systems in Member States, Iceland and Norway. They are prepared and updated by ReferNet, according to a common structure provided by Cedefop.
Why VET in Europe - Country reports are of value
Understanding national VET systems, their characteristics, developments and priorities is a key element in different levels of the VET coordination and development process. It mayalso bring additional ideas and examples of good practice. Visiting the database and downloading the country reports is highly recommended for policy-makers, researchers and practitioners involved in VET activities, including conferences, seminars or projects.
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HE Conference 2013. 6th International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education. The Conference will take place in Barcelona, from 13 to 15 May, 2013.
Be knowledgesiastic*!
The Conference is organized by the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) and will take place at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, in Barcelona, from 13 to 15 May, 2013.
The GUNi Conference is an international forum for debate on the challenges facing higher education. Each edition of the Conference deals with an emergent issue in higher education, which is the subject also chosen for the Report. Held in Barcelona and attended by renowned experts, researchers, university leaders, academics, policymakers and practitioners from all over the world, the Conference addresses innovative proposals and ideas, as well as the results of the latest research on each subject.
This edition will explore the critical dimensions in our understanding of the roles, and potential roles, of higher education institutions (HEIs) as active player in contributing to the creation of another possible world. Within this context the Conference looks to answer the call of the challenges of our time, while maintaining an eye towards the future regarding the role of knowledge and HEIs.
*Knowledgesiastic: Having, showing and actively encouraging enjoyment about transformative knowledge.