Continuing education advisors (CFC)

At the interface between the education system and the economic world, the continuing education advisors (CFC) recruited and trained within the academic centres for continuing education (CAFOC), have a particular mission: to develop the involvement of the National Education in adult education in the specific context of continuing vocational education in France, namely :

• Continuing education is a competitive market, open to all types of providers, public or private;
• GRETA does not receive any subsidy to operate: the resources coming from the training courses balance the various expenses;
• the CFC has an important role with the various training providers.

In this context, continuing education advisers have an advisory and design role, both externally and internally:

With companies and socio-professional circles

The continuing education advisor participates in the analysis of the training needs of companies and professional sectors. In partnership with the client, they design training courses adapted to the needs of employees. He/she negotiates rates with training buyers in companies or in the joint bodies responsible for pooling continuing training funds. He/she draws up responses to calls for tender and ensures that they are implemented.

With public services and communities

The continuing education adviser develops the same approaches for jobseekers and people experiencing social or professional integration difficulties. His contacts are representatives of the public employment service, in particular Pôle Emploi, employment/training managers of regional or general councils, town halls, local missions, associations, etc. Increasingly, the CFC organises GRETAs' response to public training contracts issued by local authorities.

With educational teams

Together with the heads of the establishments that are members of GRETA, the continuing education advisor mobilises the educational teams, teachers and trainers, to design the training schemes and implement the training courses in practice, either in the establishments themselves or in the companies. He or she also legally develops quality procedures to promote tailor-made services.

Terms of service for CFCs

Within the education system, CFC holders can access all competitive examinations that are normally open to them by virtue of their status.

Outside the education system, their competences may be appreciated by other public services, by local authorities or by socio-professional organisations in charge of continuing education issues.

Adult educators

Adult trainers are either teachers with previous experience of training young people but who have specialised in adult education, or they are professionals in the trades who have been motivated to become involved in skills transfer. In this case, they have often benefited from a training of trainers allowing them to specialise in adult education. In addition, many psychologists and psychosociologists work with adults in various support, guidance and assessment services. In language training, native speakers are very much in demand.

In general, many organisations rely on consultants and trainer-consultants with training engineering expertise.

All trainers are recruited on a profile basis according to the needs related to the implementation of the training courses, including in public bodies.

Thus GRETA trainers are either teachers, civil servants from the National Education system, or trade specialists from the business world. It is therefore the GRETA itself that recruits its trainers on the basis of their curriculum vitae.

AFPA trainers

The trainers of the National Association for Adult Vocational Training (AFPA) - undergo an initial pedagogical training of 16 weeks, i.e. 80 days, and further pedagogical training throughout their career. Training is their main function, but they are also involved in the recruitment and assessment of trainees, in close contact with AFPA psychologists, and in designing training courses, running teaching sequences and implementing new teaching organisations. They also carry out complementary functions of educational engineering and relations with the environment.

They benefit from a national continuous training offer, organised and delivered by the National Institute of Training Professions, which is an integral part of the AFPA's Engineering Department