OPCO, PTP, Pro A, CPF: these acronyms mean a lot to you, but you’re not sure how to finance training programs?
Don’t panic, we’re clarifying the subject of training funding in the following article.
On 24 November 2022, the France Compétences Board of Directors approved the training budget for 2023. This amounts to €14.9 billion.
This budget announcement enables those involved in skills development to plan their training funding for the coming year.
It is marked by 3 major trends: the expected reduction in the deficit by 2024, the growing priority given to apprenticeships, and the anticipated drop in CPF funding.
How training programs will be financed in 2023? Find out here.
In this article:
Table of Contents
- What about the right to professional training in 2023?
- Employee training: your obligations as an employer
- The various schemes to help finance vocational training
What about the right to professional training in 2023?
In 2023, the right to Continuing Professional Development has been enshrined in law since December 1966, thanks to Law 66-892.
The aim of this law is to enable all employees, people undergoing retraining and jobseekers to acquire new skills throughout their working lives ⭐️
Since article L6311-1 of the Labour Code came into force on 1 May 2008, the right to training has been recognised by law.
Vocational training takes a variety of forms, ranging from short courses to learn the basics of software, to longer courses that can lead to a Certificate of Professional Qualification or CQP 🎓
The major players in vocational training in France are companies, ahead of the State and regional councils.
Since the law of 5 September 2018 known as “pour la liberté de choisir son avenir professionnel” (for the freedom to choose one’s professional future), access to training has been made easier for both employees and companies, with an emphasis on continuing training.
Various funding schemes have been put in place in consultation with the social partners to give everyone access to training depending on their situation.
Employee training: your obligations as an employer
As an employer, it is a legal obligation to finance training programs for your employees, whether they express a need for it or not, on pain of penalties ❌
This training may be offered with the aim of adapting employees to their workstation or developing their professional skills.
The obligation to adapt to the position means that the employer must draw up a training or skills development plan to enable employees to maintain their position by being trained in technical and technological developments.
These training initiatives take place during working hours, and employees retain their pay.
They can also be carried out in anticipation of future changes in the employee’s position.
On the other hand, the obligation to develop skills enables employees to acquire new skills in order to obtain a brand new professional qualification 👨🎓
It is therefore vital for employers to comply with these two legal obligations to ensure that their employees are properly adapted and can develop professionally.
The various schemes to help finance vocational training
To tailor your training policy to the size of your company and the specific characteristics of your employees, there are several ways of financing training.
How can training be financed? Here are the most important ones 👇
How to finance training programs for your employees with the CPF
The CPF, or Personal Training Account, is an individual account that allows you to accumulate training rights throughout your professional career.
It is accessible from the moment you enter the labour market and ends automatically when you retire.
As an employer, you should be aware that the CPF is most often used as part of an employee initiative.
The main aim of financing CPF training is to enhance employees’ employability and facilitate their professional retraining 😇
All certifying training courses on the training account portal, skills assessment, driving licence, VAE and other accessible training courses are eligible, if they are made up of several skills elements.
The CPF my training account is funded by annual credits of €500 for each year worked full-time, up to a maximum of €5,000 💸
If the funds are insufficient to finance training programs, employees can pay the difference themselves, apply to their region for co-financing or apply to you as their employer.
The PTP or Professional Transition Project (formerly CIF)
The Professional Transition Project, also known as the PTP, is a scheme introduced on 1 January 2019 to replace the Individual Training Account (CIF).
This scheme is aimed at all employees on permanent contracts (CDI) and reveals a great opportunity to develop employees’ capacities.
For your employees on fixed-term contracts (CDD), specific regulations apply depending on their seniority ⏳
Like its predecessor, the aim of the PTP is to support workers undergoing professional retraining and to make it easier for them to set up or take over a business.
All certificate courses registered with the RNCP and present on the CPF portal are accessible through this scheme, which is funded by professional transition bodies.
It is up to the employee to put together a file and ask you for leave of absence. However, you cannot refuse the request, you can only postpone it once.
The skills development plan (formerly known as the “training plan”)
Since January 2019, the skills development plan is the new professional training scheme that replaces the training plan in companies 🙌
This plan is designed to help employees maintain their skills and adapt to their working environment, while enhancing their employability. And to help companies finance training programs for their teams.
All types of training, including training courses, skills assessments, VAE and apprenticeships, are eligible under this plan, which also offers innovative training methods.
The plan is funded by the employer, except in the case of companies with fewer than 50 employees, which may be funded by an OPCO.
The skills development plan is set up by the training manager, taking into account the company’s needs and employees’ wishes ✨
Each employee has 30 hours of non-working time training that can be used as part of this plan, and participation in training is generally scheduled during working hours.
Note that you must obtain the employee’s prior agreement if you wish to use these non-working hours for training purposes.
The Pro A system
The aim of the Pro-A scheme is to encourage retraining and promotion through work-linked training.
It is based on the principle of alternating between training and work experience in the company, enabling low-skilled employees to access training leading to qualifications while keeping their jobs and salary benefits.
Employees on permanent or fixed-term contracts, on fixed-term sports contracts or coaching contracts, as well as part-time employees with qualifications up to bachelor’s degree level, can take advantage of this scheme 😉
Eligible training courses are those registered with the RNCP and considered as such by branch agreements.
The Pro-A scheme can be partly funded by the OPCOs, unlike the skills development plan. And so, companies finance training programs for their teams.
The process can be initiated by either the employer or the employee, with the signing of an amendment to the employment contract and the appointment of a company tutor.
In the case of training leading to a qualification, the employer may also opt for an apprenticeship contract if the employee is under 30.
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Financing training programs is an investment, not a cost!
Training your employees in new skills is a fantastic opportunity to develop their careers. And to improve the performance of the entire organisation.
While you finance training programs, you improves the employee experience, which in turn increases loyalty and reduces staff turnover.
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