Recruit a work-study student
Alternation
Are you recruiting work-study students?
Are you recruiting work-study students? Find out about the different types of contract available to you, the financial aid available to companies and our students’ schedules. Have you made up your mind? Post your offer on our dedicated website in partnership with JOBTEASER. Your future work-study student is probably at the EDC!
Our tips for successful recruitment
More and more companies are opting for work-study programs. 718,000 apprenticeship contracts were signed in 2021, twice as many as in 2018. A real challenge for companies, work-study programs enable them to cope with an increase in activity and train future employees. But also to convey a positive, attractive brand image.
A real springboard to employment, here are 7 tips to help you succeed in recruiting work-study students. And as a bonus, find out everything you need to know about the cost of this type of contract.
Discover the world of business.
Understanding the specifics of work-study programs
Work-study is a training system based on a practical phase and a theoretical phase, which alternate. The aim is to enhance the skills of the work-study student through this combination.
Work-study students are recruited under a specific contract called a work-study contract. There are 2 types:
-
apprenticeship contract ;
-
the professional training contract.
While one is part of initial training (the apprenticeship contract), the other (the professionalization contract) is part of continuing training.
Good to know : Apprenticeship and professional contracts are governed by articles L6221-1 et seq. and L6325-1 et seq. of the French Labor Code..
Discover our students’ internship schedule
the 2 types of contract
Apprenticeship and professionalization contracts
The apprenticeship contract
The apprenticeship contract enables the apprentice to obtain a state diploma (CAP, BAC, BTS, Licence, Master’s…) or a professional qualification registered in the National Register of Professional Certifications (RNCP).
Companies in the craft, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as employers in the voluntary and liberal professions, are eligible to take on work-study students. But also employers in the non-industrial and commercial public sector.
The apprenticeship contract is aimed at young people aged 16 to 29. As an exception, people over 30 preparing for a higher diploma or qualification can also be apprentices (up to the age of 34).
Professionalization contract
The professionalisation contract enables the student to obtain a state diploma (CAP, BAC, BTS, Licence, Master’s…) or a professional qualification registered in the National Register of Professional Certifications (RNCP). But also a certificate of professional qualification (CQP) and a qualification recognized in the classifications of a national collective agreement.
Any employer subject to the financing of continuing professional training can hire a student on a professionalization contract. Public-sector employers are therefore excluded.
It is aimed at young people aged 16 to 25, jobseekers aged 26 and over, recipients of the RSA, the Allocation de Solidarité Spécifique (ASS) or the Allocation aux Adultes Handicapées (AAH), and people who have benefited from a subsidized contract.
Is there a distinction between an employee and a work-study student?
The work-study student is an employee in his or her own right. As such, the laws, regulations and collective bargaining agreements of the professional sector and of the company are applicable to them under the same conditions as to other employees.
A small subtlety of the sandwich course is that the talent recruited will not be continuously present in the company. Unlike a full-time employee. He will alternate periods of training and work. This specificity requires good organization on both sides.
recruiting a work-study student
Choosing the right work-study contract
The recruitment of a work-study student can meet a number of different objectives:
- Coping with high turnover within the company.
- Coping with an increase in activity.
- Passing on know-how within the company.
- Transmitting corporate values and culture.
- Securing recruitment.
The future work-study student
Defining your missions
The tasks entrusted to the future work-study student must be clearly defined and consistent not only with the company’s needs, but also with his or her training.
Doing this identification work upstream of the recruitment process makes for greater efficiency. This will give the company a clear picture of the ideal job profile and enable it to select candidates more accurately..
Our advice : At this stage, a job description can be drawn up..
The advert
Draft an attractive work-study offer
To attract the right profile of work-study student, the company’s HR department, or the line manager in charge of the student, needs to draw up a complete work-study offer. It should answer any questions a potential candidate might have.
Good to know:
- Job title.
- The level of qualification required.
- A description of the tasks to be carried out.
- Expected skills.
- The workplace.
- Compensation.
- Potential benefits.
- The recruitment process.
Our advice : To attract as many qualified candidates as possible, don’t hesitate to highlight the attractive benefits offered by the company (luncheon vouchers, gym access, RTT…).
The canals
Publish an offer on visible channels
In today’s digital age, job vacancies are being advertised online, including for work-study students.
Universities and schools are the best breeding grounds for students seeking work-study contracts.
Companies have a good chance of finding the ideal work-study student by knocking on the doors of local training organizations.
TheEDC Paris Business Schoolwelcomes several hundred students every year who opt for a sandwich course at a business school. EDC Paris Business School offers two programs:
- Masters of Science (M.Sc In): cutting-edge programs at Bac +5 level, enabling students to become experts in fields where innovation is omnipresent. Courses are offered in auditing and management control, business project management, corporate finance, data science, digital marketing, corporate finance, innovation and entrepreneurship, international business, as well as sales management and business development. Students follow an initial work-study program by signing a professionalization contract.
- Programme Grande École: a Bac +5 diploma for a sandwich course with apprenticeship contract. The aim is to train international executives in digital transformation, entrepreneurship, innovation and business development. The student alternates between three weeks of immersion in a company and one week in the classroom.
The EDC Paris Business School’s Corporate Relations Department regularly organizes recruitment events to enable companies to establish a privileged relationship with students looking for a work-study placement.
Our advice : don’t hesitate to publish your work-study offers on the EDC Paris Business School intranet to boost the visibility of your work-study recruitment offer.
Good to know : you can also post your ads on general job boards (RégionJob or Welcome to the jungle) or professional social networks (LinkedIn).
Conducting a recruitment interview
Whether it’s for a work-study student or an employee on a fixed-term or permanent contract, the recruitment interview takes place in the same way. And pursues the same twofold objective, namely to unearth tomorrow’s talent, and to make sure you don’t get the wrong job profile.
Traditional job interview questions will naturally find their way into discussions with candidates.
Terms and conditions of employment
Preparing for the hiring of the chosen work-study student
The conditions and specifics of hiring a work-study student depend on the type of contract chosen.
The apprenticeship contract
Apprenticeship contracts must be in writing. It can be concluded for a limited period (CDL), from 6 months to a maximum of 3 years, or for an indefinite period (CDI). It is concluded using the Cerfa n°10103.
It includes compulsory information, in particular :
- Employer’s full name.
- Number of employees.
- Diploma or qualification prepared by the apprentice.
- Salary due for each year of the contract or apprenticeship period.
- Last name, first name and date of birth of apprenticeship supervisor.
- Certificate from the employer stating that the apprenticeship supervisor meets the conditions of professional competence.
- Conditions for deducting benefits in kind.
Within 5 working days of the start of the apprenticeship contract, the employer must send the contract to the Skills Operator (OPCO).
Professionalization contract
Apprenticeship contracts must be in writing. It can be concluded under a fixed-term contract (CDD) or an open-ended contract (CDI). It is drawn up using the Cerfa n°12434.
It includes compulsory information, in particular :
- Mention of tutor.
- Type of contract(CDD ou CDI).
- Job title.
- Working hours.
- Salary
- Specific professionalization actions planned.
The contract must be sent to the company’s OPCO within 5 days of signature.
Good to know : the first phase of the contract is a sandwich course. Then, at the end of the predefined period, the employment contract continues as a permanent contract under ordinary law.
How much does it cost to recruit on a sandwich course?
Employer’s contributions, salaries – in the same way as for a “classic” employee, recruiting a work-study student has a cost. A simulator helps companies estimate the cost of hiring.
Remuneration for work-study students
The law requires that alternates be remunerated. The amounts vary according to the type of contract chosen:
• Apprenticeship contract: remuneration equal to percentage of Smic (between 27% and 100%). It varies according to the apprentice’s age and number of years with the company.
– Contrat de professionnalisation: minimum remuneration indexed to the minimum wage (Smic). It varies according to the employee’s age and level of qualification. It ranges from 880 to 1,300 euros gross per month.
Good to know : more favorable provisions may provide for higher remuneration for the alternating employee.
Apprenticeship tax and additional apprenticeship contribution
The taxe d’apprentissage (apprenticeship tax) and the contribution supplémentaire à l’apprentissage (CSA) are taxes payable by companies. Their purpose is to contribute, within the framework of initial training, to the financing of the expenses necessary for the development of initial technological and vocational training. The amounts are calculated on the basis of the company’s payroll for the previous year. This is the total sum of wages subject to social security contributions and benefits in kind paid by the company.
Find out more about the apprenticeship tax in our dedicated article.
Financial assistance for companies
Financial benefits are available to employers who recruit on a work-study basis.
There are 3 types of aid:
- One-off aid for apprentice employers, for companies with more than 250 employees. It applies to contracts signed between January 2019 and June 2020, or from July 2022. It is paid annually for 3 or 4 years, depending on the length of the contract. It amounts to 4,125 euros for the 1st year, then 2,000 euros for the 2nd year, and 1,200 euros for the 3rd and 4th years.
- exceptional support for apprenticeship and professionalization contracts : It applies to contracts signed between July 1st 2020 and June 30, 2022, for all companies up to Master’s level.
- A new exceptional aid is created for hiring long-term jobseekers, regardless of age. It applies to contracts signed between November 1st 2021 and December 31, 2022.
The latter two grants range from €2,000 to €8,000. There’s no need for the company to apply. The process starts when the contract is submitted, using the Cerfa form.