What is continuing education?

Continuing education is aimed more at adults who have left the school or university system and who wish to take training to:

Hence its name, continuing education makes it possible to adapt to the important changes in the economic and social world.

Continuing education encompasses:

validation of prior experience (VAE) to enhance professional experience through a diploma or professional certification.

However, young people between the ages of 16 and 25 may also be concerned by continuing training with a professionalization contract.

Generally, young adults tend more towards the apprenticeship contract . However, the professionalization contract is attracting more and more young people. To acquire a diploma or an RNCP professional title, this professional training combines theoretical courses in CFA and work in a company.

Who finances continuing education?

It is mainly the State, the regions and the companies that finance continuing training. It is the laws and legal obligations that set the amounts according to their field.

Continuing education for young people

Under employee status, training is financed by the OPCO, public aid and the employer who pays the work-study student a salary and contributes annually to a skills operator.

Continuous training for active employees

Staff training account (CPF) , recorded in euro since 1 st January 2019, is the sine qua non for access to continuing vocational training provided. The employee can also use the company’s skills development plan.

Subject to the agreement of his employer, the employee can carry out continuing training during his working time by benefiting from the professional transition project (PTP formerly CIF). If he does not wish to inform his superiors of his approach, the employee will have to train outside of his working time.

Continuing education for job seekers

Job seekers can be accompanied by an employment adviser who will define his training plan. Then, it is possible to mobilize the CPF or state and regional aid such as AREF, AFPR, AFC, AIF or the continuing education check.

Between the wishes of the parents, which they do not necessarily want to respect, the lack of a precise project of some of them, the difficulty of finding the right interlocutor, the ignorance of the reality of the trades and the stereotypes conveyed so much by the family that some teachers, not to mention the pressure of the bac, it is not surprising that for most students of terminal – and their families – the formulation of their wishes is a complicated matter.

Drawing on our experience as parents and teachers, we take the liberty of giving you here some advice to tackle this question.

Think carefully about what you like and what motivates you, both in the subjects taught in your final year and in your personal activities.

Be realistic about your academic record. Many training courses, including selective ones, are accessible with an average file. It is better to ask for a less prestigious course, but which nevertheless suits you, in which you will have more chances of being admitted, than to be refused on your first choices.

Conversely, do not lack ambition and do not necessarily favor proximity over the quality of training.

Take into account the cost of higher education: it is obviously heavier in university education (5 years) than in BTS (2 years). Can your family follow along?

Also take into account the possibility of changing lanes. Find out about it. Will I keep reusable credits in another lane or will my year be wasted?

If you don’t have a specific project in mind, spend some time on it. Talk about it with your family, your friends, your head teacher, guidance counselors … Consult the sites that can give you ideas on professions and training (Onisep, lesmetiers.net and all those we indicate in This folder).