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Law No. 2018-771 of September 5, 2018 for the freedom to choose one’s professional future and its implementing decrees have profoundly changed the professional training sector. From the entry into force of Qualiopi certification, to the new funding scheme via URSSAF or the use of the CPF for so-called certifying training courses. On this last point, the requirements for certifying training courses have now been applied, and even tightened.
While a number of certifiers are preparing to renew their registration with the RNCP or RS, there are already many refusals, particularly in the language sector. What impact will the Loi Avenir have on professional certifications and OFs?
France Compétences is responsible for examining and approving or rejecting applications for inclusion in the directory, according to criteria laid down by decree. This process guarantees that the training includes all the skills required for professional activity. The directory includes :
The RNCP lists all vocational titles and diplomas, i.e. “trade” training courses. It also includes VAE (or Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience).
Note also the definition given by the RNQ guide:
“Professional certification: Certifications registered in the French National Vocational Certification Register (RNCP) are known as “professional certifications”. They enable the validation of acquired skills and knowledge required to carry out professional activities (article L. 6113-1 of the French Labor Code).”
Three types of certification are available through this register:
These titles and diplomas are defined in particular by a reference framework of activities which describes the work situations and activities carried out, the trades or jobs targeted, a reference framework of skills which identifies the skills and knowledge, including cross-disciplinary knowledge, which derive from them, and an assessment reference framework which defines the criteria and procedures for assessing prior learning.
The professional certifications registered with the RNCP are made up of blocks of skills, homogeneous and coherent sets of skills contributing to the autonomous exercise of a professional activity and which can be assessed and validated.
Decree no. 2019-14 of January 8, 2019 defines the “national framework of professional certifications according to which the classification, by level of qualification, of professional certifications registered in the national directory of professional certifications (RNCP) is established, based on criteria of gradation of skills determined with regard to jobs and possible correspondences with certifications in states belonging to the European Union.”
The RS covers skills that are complementary to professional certifications. Certifications are registered for a maximum of five years and include :
When you prepare your application, you will be asked to draw up a list of skills. It describes a homogeneous set of skills specific to a professional field, or of a cross-disciplinary nature, consistent with the exercise of one or more identified professional activities. The project is drawn up on the basis of an analysis of market needs, and of fast-changing or emerging professions. It is backed up by proven economic and social data, supplemented if necessary by surveys of professionals in the sector concerned.
Once a certification has been validated, it can be used to validate a training course or VAE, making the training eligible for the CPF.
Since Law n°2018-771 of September 5, 2018 for the freedom to choose one’s professional future “Loi Avenir”, vocational training funding has been targeted at “certifying training”. Indeed, funding schemes whether for the CPF, professionalisation or alternance, are conditional on the fact that the training must be “certifying” in order to access this funding.
For training organizations, making its training courses certifiable is now a strategic priority. In particular, it enables you to :
Applications are submitted electronically, via the France Compétence website. It takes 7 months from the time the application is submitted to the time it goes before the commission.
Applications are examined on the basis of nine criteria:
Applications are processed in four stages:
Each certification is valid for a maximum of 5 years, based on a registration decision. In addition, certain certifications from the former Inventory were automatically included in the specific Directory. As a result, a number of certifications registered prior to the law expired on 12/31/2021. After the expiry date, the certification becomes inactive and is no longer registered in the RS or RNCP. Certification bodies must then renew the certification by submitting a dossier in accordance with the new rules.
Training organizations must then ensure that the certifications used with partners are validated. Failing this, training courses will no longer be eligible for funding under schemes such as the CPF.
The language certification market is one of the hardest hit by this new upheaval. By 2021, there will be around twenty active certifiers. It’s a competitive market that operates mainly through partnerships. Each certifier has a large number of partners who prepare their learners for certification via their training courses. It should be noted, however, that training organizations must be listed as such on the France Compétences website, and that certifying bodies must ensure that their certificates are used in accordance with the rules of the trade. The year 2021 has seen a great deal of abuse of the CPF.
To date, France Compétences has already accepted or renewed the certifications of five certifiers(Lilate, TOEIC, LanguageCert, CLES and Anglais Santé), and refused the renewal of five others. These are Pipplet, TOEFL, TOEIC Bridge, Level Test and Bright/Bliss, aeronautical English.
Among the certifiers whose renewals have been refused, Pipplet is reassuring and indicates that it is in discussion with France Compétences to re-examine their case. They have announced that the France Compétence commission met on January 5, and some of their certifications should be eligible again in the next few days. This will not necessarily be the case for all the languages certified by the Pipplet test, so it will be necessary to find out which certifications have actually been validated.
In addition, because of too many abuses by providers in 2021, the Lingueo group, which owns the Lilate certification, says it will no longer accept new partners, although most of their certifications will be renewed. They will soon be publishing new partnership conditions, which will be designed to ensure the high quality of training activities and the control of centers authorized to prepare for certificates.
In addition to the tightening of validation criteria, it is also worth noting that some major certifiers in the language training market, such as TOEFL and TOEIC Bridge, have had their renewals refused. This shows that all certifiers need to be careful to respect the criteria over time, and to carry out the necessary checks and updates prior to renewal. Registration with the RS or RNCP is complex and difficult, and requires constant efforts, in the same vein as the efforts to maintain Qualiopi certification.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, the language market has suffered from numerous abuses. The renewal of a certification also depends on the use made of it by service providers. It is essential that partners comply with the requirements. As a result of these abuses, we can expect to see an increase in the number of checks carried out by the various players, including France Compétences and the CPF, but also the OPCOs, for example. These more frequent checks may also be accompanied by a reduction in tolerance in the event of errors or unintentional abuse.
This is consistent with other measures, such as Qualiopi certification, which is now compulsory in order to benefit from public and mutualized funds. In future, training organizations wishing to benefit from funding and the reputation and visibility that goes with it will have to redouble their efforts to offer training courses and certifications that are solid, stable and sustainable.
Given the state of the language market and the tightening of requirements, it seems likely that the same pattern will be repeated in other sectors. It is likely that a number of certifications will not be renewed, and that training organizations will find it more difficult to make their training courses certifiable or eligible for the CPF.
What’s more, OPCOs’ budgets are shrinking all the time, and it’s not impossible that they will choose to give priority to certification training initiatives. In this context, it is essential for OFs and certifiers to prepare now for the renewal of certifications, and not to hesitate to call on the support of experts.
