Apprenticeships and vocational education and training (VET) in France: 2 apprenticeship schemes · 35 VET policies (22 on apprenticeship) · 83 indicators with data · 134 open datasets.
France has 2 mainstream apprenticeship schemes in Cedefop's European database on apprenticeship schemes.
Apprenticeship contract
Contrat d'apprentissage
France's flagship scheme, massively expanded since 2018: a special employment contract covering everything from vocational certificates to engineering and master degrees, with training delivered by CFA centres.
Education level
Upper secondary to doctorate (EQF 4–8)
Duration
6 months–3 yrs
Time at the workplace
Mostly at work (≥2/3) — ≥25% at the training centre (CFA); the rest in-company
Apprentice compensation
Wage
Pay (as stated)
27–100% of the SMIC minimum wage by age and contract year, employer-paid
The adult-oriented sibling of the apprenticeship contract: aimed at young people and jobseekers, it links employment to a recognised qualification with a lighter training share.
Education level
Upper secondary to master
Duration
Normally 6–12 months (most exceed 9)
Time at the workplace
Mostly at work (≥2/3) — 75–85% in-company; 15–25% at the training centre
Apprentice compensation
Wage
Pay (as stated)
55–100% of the SMIC by age and qualification level, employer-paid
Apprentices
81 800 contracts started (2025)
Qualification
RNCP or branch-recognised qualifications (upper secondary to master)
Source: Cedefop — European database on apprenticeship schemes. Cedefop's coded answers (filters and the comparison matrix) are imported directly from the 2026 fiches. The short descriptions (overview, duration, learners, pay) were condensed by hand and checked against the fiche text on 2026-10-01. The official fiches remain authoritative.
Key figures
Latest value for France on the main measures of vocational education and work-based learning, with the EU-27 figure for the same year where one is published. Select an indicator for its map, ranking, trend and downloads.
Sources: Eurostat (CC-BY-4.0); Eurostat; calculation by Apprentix (CC-BY-4.0); Cedefop (CC-BY-4.0); OECD (CC-BY-4.0); European Commission (DG EAC / EACEA), Erasmus+ project results (CC-BY-4.0). Totals only (default breakdown). Letters after a value are the publisher's flags; hover for their meaning.
National statistics
Series from France's own statistical sources. Definitions differ from country to country, so these figures should not be compared with other countries'.
Sources: DARES (Ministère du Travail), POEM (unverified — POEM legal notice (mentions légales) states the site's contents are "des information publiques librement et gratuitement réutilisables dans les conditions fixées par la loi n°78-753 du 17 juillet 1978", but also asks reusers to contact dares.dsypef at travail.gouv.fr; no named open licence is attached to the series).
More indicators
69 further indicators have data for France, each with a map, ranking, trend and downloads.
Cedefop and ReferNet track 35 VET policies in France since 2015, of which 22 concern apprenticeship or work-based learning. The most recently reported:
Cedefop — European database on apprenticeship schemes. Cedefop's legal notice: reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged, save where otherwise stated. Fiches also credit national ReferNet experts. Read 2026-10-01.
DARES (Ministère du Travail), POEM (unverified — POEM legal notice (mentions légales) states the site's contents are "des information publiques librement et gratuitement réutilisables dans les conditions fixées par la loi n°78-753 du 17 juillet 1978", but also asks reusers to contact dares.dsypef at travail.gouv.fr; no named open licence is attached to the series).