The apprentice's view of apprenticeship
What are the conditions for becoming an apprentice?
Admission to training
Admission to training is a prerequisite for apprenticeship. Indicate your intention to become an apprentice when you apply.
Maximum age
To become an apprentice, you must be under 30 (30 minus 1 day) at the start of your apprenticeship contract.
There are exceptions, however, where the apprentice can be over 30:
- Apprentice recognized as a disabled worker with RQTH
- Apprentice planning to set up or take over a business requiring a diploma
- Apprentice registered as a high-level athlete
Foreign nationals from outside the European Union must provide a residence permit authorizing them to work in France (salaried status).
Who can help you?
Various services are available to help you:
- The Centre de Formation d'Apprentis (CFA EnSup LR) is the main apprenticeship operator at the University of Montpellier. From the moment you are admitted to the program, the CFA will help you with all the formalities right up to the signing of your contract, and will provide administrative support throughout your training.
- The University's Service Communitaire d'Information, d'Orientation et d'Insertion Professionnelle (SCUIO-IP) can help you refine your career plans, and provide you with the best possible orientation or re-orientation.
- Apprenticeship services are available in most of the University's departments. You can find out about apprenticeships and how to become an apprentice.
How do I find a host company?
Finding a company is an essential step in the process of becoming an apprentice. It's a good idea to start your search early to build and consolidate your apprenticeship project.
Generally speaking, it is preferable for candidates to find their own host company. However, the CFA EnSup-LR, in association with each course leader, can advise or help you in this process, once you have been admitted to the course.
Most courses only offer apprenticeships for the last year or two (e.g. M2 BUT 2~3). If you are currently in your first year, don't hesitate to contact your academic supervisor to complete your apprenticeship.
What steps do I need to take?
Don't wait until the last minute, start your application 1 year to 6 months before the start of your course. First of all, clarify your career plans and find out about the specific conditions of access to apprenticeship training.
Application and admission to the course
From the start of the 2021 academic year, the procedure will be entirely paperless. Candidates selected by the pedagogical teams will receive a link to register on the CFA portal. Once registered, employers will also receive a link to enter their information online on the employer platform.
To help you get started, the CFA ENSUPLR has created an explanatory video for future apprentices.
In some courses - all of which are apprenticeships - the signing of an employment contract may also be a prerequisite for enrolment.
Contract signature
The apprenticeship contract is an employment contract requiring agreement between the company and the apprentice on recruitment and working conditions.
Once the employer has completed his online data entry and filled in the tasks to be assigned to the apprentice, the training manager validates the tasks.
The apprenticeship contract can be signed no earlier than three months before the start of training and no later than three months afterwards. It includes a trial period of 45 consecutive or non-consecutive days from the 1st day on the job.
For further information, please consult the Apprenticeship contract section of the service.public.fr website.
