Apprenticeship and disability: a new course at IPAG

Are you a student with a disability? Apprenticeships can open the doors to the civil service. The Institut de Préparation à l'Administration Générale (IPAG) in Montpellier now offers you a direct route to employment.
Is work-study the shortest route to employment? This is also true for students with disabilities. "We receive many requests from public services for apprenticeship contracts for people who disabled"explains Etienne Douat. For employers, the stakes are twofold: "meet the legal obligation to employ disabled workers[1]but also take the greatest care in their recruitment: they are looking for competent people who have benefited from solid training". continues the director of IPAG Montpellier.

Paid contract

One of the reasons this formula is so appealing is that the contract is a win-win situation. The apprentice benefits from paid training - the contract pays €1,000 per month - and the sandwich course puts him or her in an ideal position to be recruited. For the employer, the scheme offers the guarantee of training a fully operational employee by the end of the contract.
From September 2016, IPAG will be offering disabled students a work-study apprenticeship in the civil service, with the support of the University of Montpellier's Handiversité department.
"Local authorities, hospitals, ministries, customs services - a wide range of professions are open to you. Indeed, it'simpossible to imagine the number of specialties that the administration may need: human resources, budgeting, psychology, law or business, the possibilities are endless", explains Etienne Douat.

Customized training

To facilitate the integration of disabled people into the civil service, a special recruitment procedure is offered to them. Thanks to IPAG's partnership with the UM's Handiversité department, candidates also benefit from specially adapted training for competitive examinations. Isabelle Pecquenard explains: "Our mission is to enable students to compensate for any difficulties they may encounter in their university studies as a result of their disability. In concrete terms, we support them in their study plans, while helping them to strengthen their autonomy. Each case is unique," explains the person in charge of student support, " so first and foremost we have to assess the student's precise needs. We're also here to inform teachers, and help them adapt their courses when necessary".
We can also offer a range of assistance, including adapted teaching materials, the loan of equipment and even day-to-day support. The Handiversité department also acts as a link with the host institution's disability advisor or correspondent, to ensure that workstations are adapted to the student's needs.

• More info
• Contact: Rachel Légère, 04 34 43 23 04

[1 ] As in the private sector, all public-sector employers with at least 20 employees are required to employ 6% of their total workforce in the disabled sector (article L.323-2 of the French Labor Code). Note that the status of disabled worker is recognized by the Commission des droits et de l'autonomie des personnes handicapées (CDAPH). For further information, contact the Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées (MDPH).