What state support is available for apprenticeships?

Home » FAQ: INSEEC answers your questions » What state support is available for apprenticeships?

With the passage of the Covid-19 pandemic and other recent disruptions, access to employment has had its ups and downs. Are you one of those young people who are worried about their professional future? Do you want to take a safer route to a trade?

Apprenticeship is an excellent alternative, especially since the state encourages it through grants. But what state support is there for apprenticeships? This is precisely the purpose of this article, which details which ones are paid to employers and which ones benefit the apprentice.

You wish to join
an INSEEC program?

You wish to have some
more information about a program?

State support for apprenticeship benefits hiring employers

First, we would like to remind you that apprenticeship is a contract available to students and young people who wish to benefit from a complete training. It is done within the framework of a work-study program and consists of taking theoretical courses and doing practical work in a company at the same time.

That said, one of the biggest challenges you may face when choosing an apprenticeship is finding a company that will accept you to do the practice. Indeed, it goes without saying that the company’s instructor must invest time to train you for your future profession. Very often, the employer must also budget for your compensation.

This is often enough to discourage companies from taking on new apprentices. The State is aware of the danger that this represents in relation to the growth of unemployment and the inactivity of young people. It is therefore putting in place aids to correct this problem at the company level.

Thus, it provides somewhat different provisions for companies with less than 250 employees and those with more than 250 employees. In the first case, the company is required to hire a young apprentice who is preparing a professional certificate below the level of Bac + 5 to benefit from the aid. In addition, it is imperative that recruitment be completed by the end of 2022.

In the second case, the conditions are practically the same as for an apprenticeship, except that the company must also fill out a commitment form. As for the amount of the aid, it amounts to a maximum of 5000 euros when the company hires a minor apprentice for the first year. If the apprentice is of age, the aid amounts to a maximum of 8,000 euros.

State aid for apprenticeship

Before opting for an apprenticeship, you normally already receive social assistance, one of the most important of which is the RSA or Revenu de Solidarité Active under certain conditions. If your apprenticeship allows you to receive an income higher than the minimum required, the RSA is replaced by the activity bonus. However, this only applies if you are over 18 years old.

Thus, if all the conditions are met, you will be eligible for the work-study bonus rather than the RSA. The minimum amount of your income required to do this is 1008.51 euros. If not, the RSA is maintained for the duration of your apprenticeship.

The amount of salary paid in apprenticeship depends on several factors, the details are explained on our dedicated page.

Other aid received by apprentices

When you become an apprentice in a company, you should be aware of the following aids that are available during your apprenticeship contract:

The student trade card

As an apprentice, you are entitled to the ” carte étudiant des métiers” (student card for trades ), which gives you discounts on university restaurants and accommodation as well as on transportation costs. One of the main conditions for this card is that you are under 26 years old.

Mobili-jeune

Once again, you must be under 30 years old and have an income below the minimum wage to benefit from the Mobili-jeune program. Thanks to this, a part of your rent is already paid.

THE LPA

If you are independent from your parents, that is to say, if you live alone and are on an apprenticeship contract, you are also entitled to the APL or Aide Personnalisée au Logement.

At INSEEC, we already take into account all the advantages you can get with an apprenticeship contract and propose the pro contract when it is more adapted to your case. If you have any questions, we invite you to consult our website and access our FAQ section.

In addition, the apprentice is considered a full-fledged employee, and therefore receives the same benefits as a regular employee with an open-ended contract: profit-sharing, meal tickets, works council, transport bonus, etc.
More information on INSEEC’s good student deals on our dedicated page.

Updated 2 August 2023