Prepustnost: preglednost in možnosti prehoda v izobraževalnem sistemu
The situation in France is special insofar as apprenticeships basically give access to all levels of professional certification, from upper secondary to higher education. With regard to the “traditional” apprenticeship schemes, like the ones in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, in France there are two main apprenticeship schemes: the apprenticeship contract (CDA) and the professionalisation contract (CDP). The CDA belongs to the initial vocational education and training sector whereas the CDP is part of continuing vocational education and training.
Access to higher education is available through:
1. Vocational university entrance qualification
The vocational university entrance qualification can be achieved after completing an apprenticeship with a Certificate of Professional Aptitude and two further years of training (dual or full school).
The vocational university entrance qualification can either be achieved in the conventional way via training and a final exam or by crediting previous training, (professional) knowledge and skills etc. as part of the VAE procedure (see below). The formal final examination is a national exam and comprises seven compulsory examinations and a maximum of two elective examinations.
2. Diploma for access to university studies
It is also possible to obtain higher education entrance qualifications in France through the Diploma for Access to University Studies, a university entrance exam existing since the 1950s. The DAEU grants the same authorizations that are associated with a "conventional" university entrance qualification. Depending on the desired future field of study of the participants, the DAEU is offered in two directions, a variant with a linguistic-literary focus and a variant with a focus on scientific content. The exam is open to candidates who do not have high school diplomas, whose last participation in training was at least two years ago and who were employed for at least two years.
3. Recognition of prior professional training/experience: VAE
In the 1980s, the opportunity was created to gain access to the university through the validation of professional experience and to recognize parts of university courses. This procedure takes place at the universities and is free of charge. Through the VAE, applicants can obtain a full university certificate by recognizing skills acquired through professional and/or non-professional activities (e.g. voluntary, political, or trade union engagement). In the case of the VAE, candidates must use a portfolio to document and demonstrate their knowledge and skills acquired over at least three years in relation to the desired university course.