This article focuses on the Rhone-Alpes region's policy for the development of alternating training based on cooperation between the occupational branches and the national educational system. It discusses the following: France's 1987 law on apprenticeship that provided an opportunity for its emergence; cooperative apprenticeship as the culmination…

In France, a "Very Small Enterprise" (VSE) is defined as a legally independent company with fewer than 10 salaried employees. VSEs are characterized by a great deal of movement in the creation, transformation, and disappearance of jobs and the extent of turnover, which seems tied with intensive use of public employment programs, notably…

A study was made of the state of apprenticeship in France, using data gathered through telephone interviews with apprentices. Of a targeted group of 6,000 young apprentices, 70% participated in the survey. The study found that, until recently, apprenticeships had generally been used in France to train students in manual trades. During the past 10…

In 1983, management of public policy regarding vocational training in France was partially entrusted to France's regional authorities. However, division of responsibility for defining and implementing vocational training programs and policies among state, regional authorities, and professional organizations remained an issue. The regions were…