Apprenticeships: Thousands of young people without companies, the government is urging employers to act

With just days to go before the start of the academic year, thousands of young people enrolled in apprenticeship programs still haven't found employers. Faced with this situation, the Minister Delegate for Vocational Training, Sabrina Roubache, is calling on business leaders to recruit more apprentices.

The minister assures that funding for apprenticeships has been "protected" to guarantee employers greater visibility. She acknowledges, however, that public subsidies have decreased for large companies. These now receive €2,000 per contract, compared to €5,000 previously.

Small businesses were spared from this reduction, and no further cuts in aid are planned, promises Sabrina Roubache. The government is thus seeking a balance between maintaining financial support for employers and reducing a model that has become very costly for public finances.

Youth unemployment is rising sharply again

The appeal comes as the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds reached 21,6% in the second quarter. It rose by 0,4 percentage points in three months and by 2,5 percentage points year-on-year. These figures reinforce concerns about young people who risk losing their training opportunities because they haven't signed a contract with a company.

To facilitate access to apprenticeships in rural areas, the government plans to launch a social leasing program providing access to cars that do not require a driver's license. Additional places in boarding schools are also to be made available. These measures aim to reduce the transportation and housing difficulties that prevent some young people from accepting contracts far from home.

Sabrina Roubache also wants the public sector to recruit more apprentices. A National Council for Reform, dedicated to the attractiveness of vocational training programs, is to be held in October. The government intends to align training programs more closely with economic needs, given that more than 400,000 positions remain vacant and 600,000 additional jobs are expected to be created in personal services by 2036.