Responsible work-study schemes: our commitment to making work-study schemes accessible to all

alternance responsable

 

At aivancity, we believe that every talented individual deserves the chance to succeed, regardless of their financial means or circumstances. That is why we have developed a unique programme: the responsible work-study scheme. Aimed at students on our MSc in Data Management and MSc in Data Engineering & Cloud Computing programmes, this educational and social innovation is fully in line with our mission: to make high-quality education accessible to all.

 

A groundbreaking and socially responsible scheme

Responsible work-study is our response to the realities on the ground: despite their motivation and the skills they have acquired, some students admitted to work-study programmes face difficulties in signing a contract with a host company within the legal deadlines. Rather than leaving them in limbo, we have taken the decisive step of covering 100 per cent of their first-year tuition fees through our endowment fund. This support is automatically activated if no apprenticeship or work-based learning contract has been signed three months after the start of the academic year.

This means that students can continue their studies at aivancity as normal, in line with the schedule for the work-study programme, without having to bear the financial burden of their studies. They benefit from rigorous academic supervision, support from our careers service to continue their search for a company, and remain fully integrated into school life.

 

Our values in action

This scheme is no exception: it embodies aivancity’s core values. As a school with a mission, we have a responsibility to support every learner. Responsible work-study programmes demonstrate our commitment to inclusion, solidarity and social innovation. We believe that no student admitted to our school should have to give up their ambitions simply because of a lack of an immediate opportunity with a company. In this respect, we do much more than just teach: we invest both personally and financially in the success of every individual.

 

Practical arrangements

 

  • Work-study schedule maintained: You will follow the curriculum according to the traditional model (one week per month at the school, normally three weeks in a company). If you do not have a placement, this time can be spent on skills-building projects, professional development workshops or actively seeking a work placement.

 

  • Status: You remain enrolled on the work-study programme but retain student status until a contract has been signed. This means you are not yet receiving any pay, but your tuition fees are fully covered by aivancity.

 

  • Duration: The funding covers the entire first year of the MSc. The €500 enrolment fee is still payable upon confirmation of admission, but is refunded in full once a contract has been signed.

 

  • Personalised support: Our teams provide you with ongoing support in your search for a company. Coaching, job fairs, networking opportunities and interview preparation: we do everything we can to help you secure a contract, even during the academic year.

 

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Practical details
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Work-study schemes: A pathway to employment for young people

A real asset for:
  • A gradual transition into working life.
  • Giving your career a boost (as a recent graduate, you’ll have two years’ experience under your belt).
  • Receiving tailored support at school and in the workplace to develop your professional skills.
  • Finding a job as soon as the contract ends.
  • Achieving financial independence thanks to the contractually agreed salary and the company’s contribution towards your tuition fees.

Work-study schemes: a recruitment tool for businesses

Significant benefits for:
  • Recruiting with confidence: the training programme enables the company to pass on expertise to the work-study student, assess their aptitudes and test their ability to integrate into teams whilst upholding the corporate culture.
  • Strengthening teams without compromising competitiveness: as the scheme is regulated by law, the remuneration package is very attractive for businesses.
  • Make the most of the apprenticeship tax by channelling it into the trainee’s training.
  • Benefit from social security contribution exemptions and financial support.
  • Forge a special relationship with aivancity, the leading institution for Artificial Intelligence, and its academic staff comprising research professors and recognised experts.

The terms and conditions of work-study schemes:

There are two types of contract available for work-study programmes:

Apprenticeship contract:
  • Young people aged 16 to 29 who are continuing their studies.
  • The age limit may be extended to 31 or over in certain cases (disability, starting a business, etc.).
  • Must hold the required qualification for the chosen course.
Professional training contract:
  • Young people aged 16 to 25 inclusive at the time of signing the professional training contract (26 years minus 1 day).
  • Jobseekers aged 26 and over who are recipients of the RSA, the solidarity allowance or the specific allowance, or who have previously held a single integration contract.

Both contracts are open to people with disabilities.

  • You must sit and pass the entrance exams and confirm your enrolment on the programme. We submit your application to our network of partner companies and support you in making your job search and applications more effective.
  • We provide administrative support for your application right up to the signing of the work-study contract.
  • Unless an exemption has been granted (Article D. 6222-19 of the Labour Code), an apprenticeship within a company must begin no earlier than 3 months before and no later than 3 months after the start of the CFA course in which the apprentice is enrolled.
  • In the case of a professional training contract, the contract with the company may begin no earlier than one month before the first day of the training and no later than one month after.
  • The apprenticeship contract signed with a company may be for 12 or 24 months, depending on the duration of the chosen training programme.
  • A non-renewable two-month probationary period is included.
  • The contract may be renewed once with the same company to prepare for a higher-level qualification.

A work-study programme alternates between periods in the company and periods of study at aivancity.

For the MSc in Data Management and the MSc in Data Engineering & Cloud Computing: one week at the school, three weeks in a company. For the MSc in Artificial Intelligence for Business: seminars on Fridays and Saturdays every other week at the school, with the rest of the time spent in a company

Salary scale for an apprenticeship contract

Remuneration varies depending on your age and your progress through the course(s) covered by the apprenticeship.

Year 1st Year 2nd Year Year 3
18–20 years43 per cent of the minimum wage51% of the minimum wage67% of the minimum wage
21–26 years53% of the minimum wage61% of the minimum wage78% of the minimum wage
Aged 26 and over100% of the minimum wage100% of the minimum wage100% of the SMIC

*Remuneration is calculated as a percentage of the SMIC (or the collectively agreed minimum wage if this is more favourable for those aged 21 and over).

Pay scale for a professional training contract (excluding the public sector)

Remuneration under a professional training contract varies according to the trainee’s level of qualification and age. Unlike an apprenticeship contract, there is no age limit for undertaking training under a professional training contract. From the age of 26, remuneration is equivalent to 100% of the SMIC.

Less than a vocational baccalaureateEqual to or higher than a vocational baccalaureate
- 21 years55 per cent of the minimum wage65% of the minimum wage
21–25 years70% of the minimum wage80% of the minimum wage

*Remuneration is calculated as a percentage of the SMIC (or the collective agreement minimum wage if this is more favourable for those aged 21 and over).

The cost of your training is covered by your host company and/or by the professional sector to which your company belongs.

They support the apprentice throughout their training and help them acquire the skills needed to obtain the qualification or diploma they are studying for at aivancity. They must meet three criteria:

  • Hold a qualification or diploma equivalent to that being studied by the apprentice.
  • Have at least two years’ professional experience in the trade.
  • Have at least three years’ professional experience.

Host organisations

For apprenticeship contracts
  • All private-sector employers, including associations.
  • The non-industrial and non-commercial public sector: the State (central government and decentralised services) and its public administrative bodies, local authorities, public hospitals, etc.
For professional training contracts
The company covers the cost of its employee’s training. It must contact its OPCO to find out the level of funding available, which will determine the ‘remaining cost’ invoiced to the employer. A vocational training agreement and an employment contract will be signed once the funding has been approved by the company, the OPCO and the training centre.
  • All private-sector employers subject to vocational training funding obligations, with the exception of the State, local authorities and their public administrative bodies.
  • Public industrial and commercial bodies, such as the RATP, the SNCF and the National Forestry Office 


Funding for training

For apprenticeship contracts
The levels of funding for apprenticeship training are set and published by France CompĂ©tences by decree. The host organisation must contact its OPCO to find out the level of funding available for the training, which depends on its sector and the qualification being studied for. Depending on the cost of the training, this funding level will determine the ‘out-of-pocket cost’ for the employer, which will be invoiced directly to them. An apprenticeship training agreement and an employment contract will be signed.
For professional development contracts
The company covers the training costs for its employee. It must contact its OPCO to find out the level of funding available, which will determine the ‘cost to the employer’ invoiced to the employer. A vocational training agreement and an employment contract will be signed once the funding has been approved by the company, the OPCO and the training centre.

What support is available for businesses?

The Government is introducing a one-off recruitment grant to support the apprenticeship scheme
To encourage the recruitment of apprentices and the use of professional training contracts, the government is continuing its incentive measures by extending the exceptional support scheme for work-study programmes.
For businesses with fewer than 250 employees, €5,000 is available for hiring a work-study student aged over 18, for the first year of the contract:

  • For companies with fewer than 250 employees, €2,000 is available for the recruitment of a work-study trainee aged over 18.

  • The contract must be an apprenticeship or vocational training contract.
  • The contract must be entered into in 2023.
  • The professional training contract must be entered into with an employee under the age of 30.
  • The trainee’s educational background is irrelevant.

For companies with fewer than 250 employees, €2,000 is available for hiring a work-study student aged over 18.

As set out in Decree No. 2022-1714 of 29 December 2022, for companies with more than 250 employees, it is necessary to meet – in addition to the conditions listed above – one of the following two conditions:
  • Achieve a minimum of 5 per cent of contracts promoting professional integration (apprenticeship contracts, professional training contracts, etc.) within the total annual workforce, as at 31 December 2024. This 5 per cent rate is equal to the ratio of the number of employees on contracts promoting professional integration to the company’s total annual workforce
  • Or have at least 3 per cent of work-study students (under apprenticeship or professional training contracts) and have achieved a 10 per cent increase in the number of work-study students by 31 December 2024, compared with the annual workforce in these categories (apprenticeship and professional training contracts) as at 31 December 2023.
For companies with more than 250 employees, if the targets set out above are not met, the funds received must be repaid. Regardless of the company’s size, a grant of €6,000 is available for the recruitment of an apprentice with a disability.

Learning outcomes at aivancity

Apprenticeships are a key pillar of aivancity’s educational model. By combining academic training with work placement, they enable students to develop skills that are directly applicable in the fields of artificial intelligence, data and digital infrastructure.

In accordance with Article L.6111-8 of the Labour Code, aivancity publishes the key performance indicators for its Apprenticeship Training Centre (CFA) each year.

🎓 Certification pass rate

AI Solutions Development Project Manager 99 per cent
Big Data Infrastructure and Processing Expert 100 per cent

đŸ’Œ Employment rate

AI Solutions Development Project Manager 100%
Big Data Infrastructure and Processing Expert 90%

📚 Rate of progression to further study

AI Solutions Development Project Manager 11%
Infrastructure and Big Data Processing Expert 12%

⚠ Drop-out rate during training

AI Solutions Development Project Manager 2%
Infrastructure and Big Data Processing Expert 4%

📋 Apprenticeship contract termination rate

AI Solutions Development Project Manager 2%
Infrastructure and Big Data Processing Expert 4%
Added value of the institution: The qualifications prepared by aivancity are specific to the institution and are not offered by other training organisations under the same conditions. There is therefore currently no comparative data available to calculate an added-value indicator using the standard national methodologies.

Data updated for the 2024–2025 academic year.

Useful links
Download the comprehensive guides on exceptional support and the apprenticeship recovery plan. Contact your skills provider for further information. Calculate your support