With the reshuffle of Monday July 4, a precision went a little unnoticed by the general public on the new government of Elisabeth Borne. However, it intensely agitates the environment concerned: Carole Grandjean is appointed Minister Delegate, in charge of Vocational Education and Training. It is not so much his name that is controversial, but rather his supervisory ministries. For the first time this portfolio is not exclusively under the responsibility of National Education, it is also attached to the Ministry of Labour.
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This double supervision is completely in line with what Emmanuel Macron wishes to achieve. The President of the Republic wants to bring this sector closer to the business world. This concerns 660,000 young people with a vocational aptitude certificate (CAP) and a vocational baccalaureate. But many teachers and organizations see a danger in this, which would lead to education being based on the immediate needs of the world of work. We know that many branches, such as the hotel and catering industry for example, are sorely lacking in manpower. But by reducing, suddenly, the mission of global training and general culture of adolescents.
With this double ministerial supervision, a red line has been crossed, says Sigrid Girardin, professor of eco-management who represents the union of vocational education Snuep-FSU: “We strongly fear a form of instrumentalization of the educational paths of our students, only towards training in sectors where there are job shortages. For us, this is not acceptable. Young people must be able to go to professions they require”
“If they want to be butchers, hairdressers, salespeople, coachbuilders, they must be able to benefit from the training they choose. Their training must not be exploited to meet local economic needs or the requirements of employers’ organizations.
Sigrid Girardin, Snep-FSUat franceinfo
For the trade unionist, this attachment to the Ministry of Labor “is the sign of a real renunciation of raising the level of qualification for young people in vocational high schools, who mainly come from underprivileged backgrounds, from the working classes. Somehow, they are assigned to a course based solely on their needs into jobs.” The union fears in the long term a total transfer of vocational education from the Ministry of Education to that of Labour.