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 education ‘Bac Professionnel’ Vocational track ‘CAP’ Counselling ‘Bac Technologique’ ‘Bac Général’ General track and technologically-oriented track Lower secondary education : the “collège” (4 years from 11 to 15 years old) Primary education (5 years from 6 to 11 years old) Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Figures 2011 Professional « Baccalauréat » Laureates from initial vocational training  2011 = students in « lycées professionnels » (vocational high schools) and 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 %

students in 2012 (academic fall)  students. The 1st cycle : students, four main pillars.  The ‘licences’ (universities) – ie : Bachelor’s degrees : students – different licences  The ‘diplômes universitaires de technologie’ - DUT - (universities) – ie : university technology-oriented degrees - : students – 24 different subject areas  The ‘brevets de technicien supérieur ’ – BTS - (‘lycées’/post- secondary education) – students - 88 different subject areas  The ‘classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles’ – CPGE - (‘lycées’ / post-secondary education) – students – 26 different sorts of programmes 1st cycle « Licence »’s programmes

A complex architecture of study programmes

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.