HESITENT LEVELS OF REFORM OF APPRENTICESHIP IN FRANCE AND CRAFT BUSINESSES (1977-1987)

Abstract

The attitudes of French craftsmen towards technical education and qualifications until the 1960s were far from enthusiastic. As a general rule, craftsmen tended to prefer apprenticeships with training in situ and under the supervision of a master craftsperson. The Apprenticeship Act of July 16, 1971 was introduced by public authorities with a number of objectives. These included reversing the decline in apprenticeship training, linking such training with the needs of the craft industry and strengthening the rules to improve the quality of apprentice training. However, these objectives of the legislator were initially countered by reluctance of the craft industry, and subsequently by economic diiculties. As a result, measures to reduce the cost of apprenticeships were introduced from 1977 onwards. The arrival of the left-wing government in 1981 overhauled this policy of defending and transforming apprenticeships. From then on, apprenticeships were run by craft companies under the supervision of academic apprenticeship inspectorates. The reports of these bodies provide into on-going developments such as increasing the number of hours in apprentice training centers and inspections and their limitations. These limitations include the level of qualification of apprentices as well as the training of their masters and the teachers in the apprentice training centers.