Customer case :
RS renewal

Accompanying ETAP for a Renewal RS
with France Compétences

ETAP was founded in 1986 and specializes in electrical installation design software. In particular, it has developed the CANECO software. Among other things, it has been offering professional training since 1992, and a certification focusing on the use of CANECO was registered with the RS in 2017.

ETAP’s main challenge was to renew its certification. Indeed, after an initial registration in 2017, their RS renewal application was refused three times, as the requirements had evolved enormously.

“I asked DC to renew my RS certification, because after 3 rejections, I couldn’t see how to present the file. Lucile was extremely efficient in framing the assessment criteria and, above all, in drafting an opportunity note with all the expected supporting elements.
Murielle BADER
ETAP Training Product Manager

1 – Challenges

n order to check whether the project had a chance of succeeding and finally being registered, we analyzed the rejected files and the reasons for the rejections. We identified several problems:

The opportunity memo was not detailed enough, and did not sufficiently demonstrate the need for certification or its value in use.
The repository contained too many skills and mixed levels of software mastery, thus coming close to an RNCP.
The certification regulations included a non-compliant jury, imprecise assessment procedures and inadequate monitoring of assessment procedures.

Murielle was at a loss, and wasn’t sure whether it was really worth attempting a 4th application. After analyzing the file, we felt that the concerns linked to the regulations and the standards could be resolved, if ETAP agreed to refocus its certification.

As for the Opportunity Note, after thorough research, we felt that there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate its value.

We have therefore informed ETAP that we are in favor of a request for RS renewal.

2 – Action plan

For this project, we weren’t starting from scratch, since we already had a number of elements in place. We did, however, have to review the reference system, the opportunity note and the regulations.

We therefore proposed the following schedule:

Revision of the reference system with strategic decisions on the scope of certification, and drafting of the new reference system in terms of skills
Resumption of the opportunity report with in-depth market research into the importance of the software in the electrical installation market, and the need for professionals to be trained and/or refreshed in the use of the software.
Meetings with beneficiaries and market players to prove use value
Revision of the rules, with a reworking of jury selection and decisions on evaluation procedures.

3 – Implementation and adjustments

Accompanying ETAP presented several very specific challenges:

First of all, a repository that not only had to be revised, but also influenced the company’s strategy: as it stood, it resembled an RNCP repository, with several levels of skills. We therefore had to work on the business strategy of the training courses delivered by ETAP, in order not only to propose a suitable reference framework, but also to maintain profitability and meet customer expectations. In the end, we decided to refocus the certification on a single level.
Software often has a hard time getting registered with RS. So we set out to prove its importance on the market, despite the presence of competing software. We gathered figures from ETAP, as well as from job offers that explicitly mentioned mastery of the software as a prerequisite and/or added value. Aware that this would not be enough, we also looked for explicit references to the use of the software on the websites of companies and design offices, and obtained signed letters from some of them, testifying to the importance of the software in their work, on the market and for the employability of the professional.
Finally, with regard to use value, we advised ETAP on how to conduct interviews with trainees and what information was relevant to gather in order to prove use value. We also included opinions, figures and testimonials in a paragraph of the opportunity note.

4 – Results

After just over three months of restructuring and drafting the application, we submitted it to the France Compétences platform. After four months of instructions, the decision was made: the certification was registered for three years! The RS renewal was finally official!

This decision has enabled ETAP not only to successfully resume certification trainingto support electrical installation professionals, but also to start afresh with a well-thought-out, efficient structure.