Rouages: “Lifelong learning at UM”
Catherine Bellanger and Salomé Bessaïh work in the continuing education department (SFC-UM). The former supports candidates seeking to validate their prior learning in order to obtain a degree, while the latter develops new training courses tailored to a predominantly salaried audience. This month, as part of the "Rouages"video series, they share their profession with us.
It is at Richter, on the second floor of a building overlooking the Lez, that we meet Catherine Bellanger and Salomé Bessaih, both project managers in the continuing education department. Despite the early hour, the two colleagues are in good spirits as they get in tune with the audiences they are accompanying. " The continuing education audience is particularly motivated. They all have different backgrounds and profiles, but what they have in common is that they have a goal and are determined to achieve it. It's up to us to be determined too," says Salomé Bessaïh.
Around thirty people make up the continuing education department, spread across four sites: Building E on the Richter campus, the Montpellier-Sète University Institute of Technology, the Nîmes University Institute of Technology, and the Sète Marine Station. "This department is for anyone who wants to return to education to learn new skills," explains Catherine Bellanger. We support job seekers, employees, professionals, and students on professional training contracts as part of lifelong learning." Within this department, the seven project managers are divided into three areas of activity: science and technology; law, economics, and management; and health, sport, and education.
Develop new training courses
Salomé works in the law, economics, and management sector. Her main mission is to develop new training courses tailored to the continuing education audience,i.e., mainly employees. For example, I am currently working on a Master's 2 in social law with a focus on labor law, which is only available as an initial training program, but for which a second program will open next September for employees (lawyers or legal professionals) who wish to upgrade their skills, with a schedule specifically designed for them. Every year, new courses are offered at the University of Montpellier, while others disappear and reappear depending on the needs expressed.
These new courses respond either to requests from educational managers or directly to requests from companies wishing to train their employees. "We don't get involved in the educational content," explains Salomé, "we provide support with the administrative and financial aspects: does the training need to be approved by the board of directors; does it need to be registered in the national training catalog; who pays and how?" The department also gets involved in professional training contracts by meeting with companies in the field. "This second mission, carried out in particular by Ana Bozovic, who is also a project manager within the department, consists of putting continuing education trainees in touch with companies so that they can complete their training on a work-study basis."
Supporting the validation of prior learning
For her part, Catherine Bellanger has been focusing for the past year on providing support for the validation of acquired experience (VAE). All universities organize VAE for their own degrees, and there are more than 600 at UM. "Candidates for this VAE can benefit from 12 hours of support to complete what is known as Livret 2. It consists of professional situations and proof of competence that they will have to present to a jury in an oral exam," explains the project manager. Around 60 people validate their VAE each year at the UM, and Catherine Bellanger supports around 20 ofthem. "I'm not a subject matter expert; the subject matter expert is the candidate we support right up to the jury."
Catherine Bellanger also works with the funders of these training courses, which can be of two types. Public funders, mainly the Region and Pôle Emploi, but also Mission Locale "for the youngest and those furthest removed from the education system," she explains. Companies also finance various training programs. "Whether this funding is public or private, it is always directed towards individuals who will be trained in person or remotely, by taking courses or through VAE (validation of acquired experience). We are a public service, and this concept is particularly important," she emphasizes.
High point
Soon, both will participate in one of the highlights of the year: the DAEU graduation ceremony, the diploma for access to university studies, equivalent to a high school diploma. "At UM, there is a cohort of about 100 people, "explains Catherine Bellanger."These are people who have been away from education for a long time and who are putting their heart and soul into passing this diploma. Recognizing this commitment is a very emotional moment," she concludes.