Technical education as organised nationally in France

Abstract

A survey of the organisation of vocational/technical/technological education in France, comparing the effectiveness of the French system with that of the British system, also the degree of public awareness of the identity and significance of technical qualifications [1].

The long-run effects of reducing early school tracking

“…Upon graduation, they could attend the traditional university system but mostly either went into the labor market or enrolled in postsecondary technical institutes that offered two-year technical degrees. Graduates of these institutes gained knowledge in applied scientific techniques required for fields such as commerce, administration, social work, industry, communications, and took jobs as senior technicians and technologists (Dundas-Grant, 1987).…”

“…7 The main difference between the two degrees is that holders of the CAP were trained for a specific job, while those who pursued the BEP specialized in a field and could work in different jobs within that field. "For instance, in the hotel, catering and institutional sector, there is a cellarman's CAP, a laundry worker's CAP, a catering worker's CAP, but one single less specialized BEP covering these activities as a whole" (Dundas-Grant, 1987). Vocational education intended to provide immediate access to the labor market, and students received a combination of general education and vocational courses as well as on-the-job training.…”