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This country report is part of the study 'Policy developments and practices of apprenticeships in selected EU Member States and world competing regions' carried out in five EU (Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland and Italy) and two non-EU countries (Australia and the USA). This study is conducted in the frame of the Pilot Project 'The Future of Manufacturing', proposed by the European Parliament and delegated to Eurofound by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs). One of the objectives of this study is to provide an analytical overview of apprenticeship systems in the selected countries and to review changes to the current systems following labour market shifts, changes in employment, career and mobility patterns and technological and structural change. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of new technologies and the need for a high skilled and adaptable workforce in manufacturing and advanced manufacturing. This research is carried out in response to the increasing interest in apprenticeships among policy makers to tackle skills mismatches but also to integrate young people into the labour market. The appeal of apprenticeships is also growing particularly in a context where new technologies are transforming work organisation and production processes across all sectors, particularly manufacturing. The findings from this research will feed the policy discussions around the role of apprenticeships for the future of manufacturing and inform policy making in the context of current or planned reform of apprenticeship systems and the necessary links to be established between education/training and industrial policies.

Apprenticeship in France is a complex system based on two complementary pathways: the 'apprenticeship contract' (contrat d'apprentissage), corresponding to initial VET and the 'professionalization contract' (contrat de professionnalisation), corresponding to continuing VET. Both pathways fit the Cedefop definition of 'apprenticeship', and fall under the same generic label of 'alternance' (alternation in English). The industrial sector makes extensive use of these two types of contracts. The French 'alternance' system is highly institutionalised and heavily influenced by the public education system. In the industrial sector, however, employers play an important role in adapting curricula to their needs. For example, by creating, at branch level, specific professional qualifications that can be obtained through 'alternance'.

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Already before the global financial crisis the dynamics of restructuring has resulted in a growing variety of both national and European activities supplementing as well as improving 'traditional' public employment policies by more suitable instruments focusing in particular on the employability of workers and/or the effectiveness of re-conversion and re-deployment as a recent stocktaking of different instruments and tools prepared by DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities has shown. Also flexicurity as a guiding principle of European and national labour market policy reforms has contributed to change in employment policies and public employment services in many European countries. This study is focusing on schemes, instruments and mechanisms of support for redundant workers and for workers likely to be affected by restructuring which have been set up in parallel to and complementing the typical support mechanisms of public employment services (PES).

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This report is the result of research carried out by Wilke, Maack and Partner in cooperation with partners in France, Italy, the UK and Belgium in 2012 for Eurociett and UNI Europa [union representing workers in 150 countries and in every region of the world], the two [European Union] EU social partners in the temporary agency work sector. The aim of the analysis was to obtain quantitative as well as qualitative data and information on the following key questions: What is the role of temporary agency work and the sectoral social partners in facilitating sideward and upward transitions in the labour market for agency workers? What is the profile of temporary agency workers? What are the evolution and progression patterns of the agency workers in the labour market? What are the working conditions of agency workers and how can the social partners improve them? What are the sectoral initiatives set up by the social partners to improve quality of transitions, such as temporary agency work sectoral social partners' jointly managed training funds, social funds or pension funds for temporary agency workers? After the executive summary and the recommendations that were adopted as a result of this study, the main results are presented as follows: Part A collects data and information on the role and dynamics of temporary agency work, regulatory frameworks as well as industrial relations and employment conditions, and contexts of type of work in the whole of the EU, mainly based on available comparative statistics as well as comparative studies that have been carried out by other researchers. Part B of the report consists of a series of case studies on major forms of labour market transitions and shows the role of temporary agency work and social dialogue for supporting labour market transitions and working conditions of temporary agency workers. The final chapter presents some general conclusions from the point of view of the authors, in particular, lessons learned from good practice and further needs for empirical research and exchange of information and knowledge.

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This guide illustrates how training and skills development could successfully be developed and implemented in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) despite both the internal and external barriers they face in this context. The first part of the guide summarises basic information and facts about SME development and major challenges in Europe today. This is followed by three main sections, each addressing several thematic topics. Each topic is structured in a similar way, providing information on main challenges, focussing on experience of good practice and innovative solutions made in the context of the specific theme, and highlighting major lessons to be learned, crucial factors of success and aspects of transferability. The topics and themes are: (1) Improving the framework conditions of training and skills development - solutions for organisational problems and barriers; financial means and resources for training; human resources (HR) and skills development policy; perceptions of training needs by workers and managers; and resource pooling and SME cooperation in training and competence development; (2) Developing suitable methods and techniques of training - training methods addressing specific needs of SMEs; training and competence development for managerial staff and entrepreneurs; and validation of informal skills and competence; and (3) Addressing current and structural challenges of competence development - competence development in the context of demographic change; retaining workers and making SMEs more attractive to young people; competence development in the context of internationalisation; and improving and addressing gender equality and opportunities for women.

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This guide gives concrete examples of successful programmes and initiatives from across Europe that address the challenges to training and skills development that [small and medium-sized enterprises] SMEs face, as explained in the 'Guide for training in SMEs' [indexed at TD/TNC 97.623]. Includes information such as challenges addressed, target groups, objectives and stakeholders involved.

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Apprenticeships are well suited to provide young people with an entry point into the labor market and to supply manufacturing enterprises with skilled workers. This report further investigates apprenticeship systems at a company level, focusing on the extent to which these practices deviate from the national apprenticeship frameworks and how companies are adapting to future skill needs. It builds on the analysis of national apprenticeship systems in the 2018 Eurofound report 'Adaptation of national apprenticeship systems to advanced manufacturing' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 134.160] and summarises the results of 14 case studies of good practice in the manufacturing sector in five EU Member States (Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland and Italy) and two countries outside Europe (Australia and the United States). Situated in different national and sector-specific environments, all case studies are characterised by the aim to adjust apprenticeship programmes and/or practices in response to challenges emerging from advanced manufacturing technologies and processes. The case studies examine a series of different issues, notably context, drivers for implementing change, impact and crucial factors for success.

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The case studies are as follows: Modernisation of dual apprenticeship training at ABB: Germany / Eckhard Voss; Innovative practices at Airbus Operations in Hamburg: Germany / Eckhard Voss; Talent Tracks for gifted industrial apprentices: Denmark / Soren Kristensen; Knowledge centres for robot technology and automation: Denmark / Soren Kristensen; Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy: France / Djamel Messaoudi and Nicolas Farvaque; Job and Qualification Campus in transport: France / Djamel Messaoudi and Nicolas Farvaque; 'New' apprenticeships in the light of technological change: Ireland / Jeff Bridgford; Modernisation of a designated craft apprenticeship: Ireland / Jeff Bridgford; Bosch Industry 4.0 Talent Program: Italy / Anna Teselli and Pier Paolo Angelini; Higher apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing: Italy / Anna Teselli and Pier Paolo Angelini; Siemens higher apprenticeship pilot programme: Australia / Phil Toner and Damian Oliver; Varley Group: modernising apprenticeships: Australia / Keiko Yasukawa, Phil Toner and Damian Oliver; Adjusting apprenticeship at Oberg Industries: United States / Robert I. Lerman; Mechatronics Apprenticeship Program of Festo Didactic: United States / Bryan D. Kamm and Robert I. Lerman. Show less