Abstract:

In France, apprenticeship (both learning in Universities and practices skills in Companies), early developed in secondary and vocational education schools have been extended to Universities degrees (bachelors, masters, engineers) twenty years ago.

The central idea of this training process is that young people are both students (learning in University) and corporate employees with a contract for the practical part of their training in a company.

First we will present the context of this paper: the philosophy of apprenticeship in France. We will then present the specificity of the University of East Paris Marne-la-Vallée (UPEM) in this field. It forms over 25% of its students (2,600 / 11,000) in this manner and our Ile-de France Institute of Engineering Services (IFIS) is very recognized in this type of training.

These specific courses are based on a strong partnership between Universities and business and professional sectors, and are financially supported by the Regional Council of Ile-de-France. They are based on innovative teaching methods focused on the spirit of creativity and initiative of students.
In this paper, we will analyze the specificity of these formations through a “Mediator Artifact”: the learning booklet online (e-record) that will be for us a revealing of interactions between all stakeholders: students, instructors, tutors in companies, tutors in universities ...

Our analysis will concern a group of twenty Students - Apprentices of the Professional License (Bachelor) in Hotels and Restaurants.
Our study will be developed in a constructivist perspective (social reality construction by the actors) and Research Action. It will be based on interviews with the various stakeholders, especially students. We will situate us in the perspective outlined by F. Bernard articulating issues of meaning, relationship and knowledge for action by joining also E. Morin proposals.

We will show how, by analyzing the integration rate in employment of students over several years, the e-record by formalizing the different competences and skills acquired throughout the year is an innovative process and a passport to employment.

These degrees are also pedagogical innovations through personalized monitoring of students, traceability and enhancement of their skills (e-record) but also for their educational progress (case study built with companies) and especially simulation of professional situations on work places with guidance from both a referent in university and in the company.

This learning process corresponds to the “social responsibility of universities”. We will show that these courses allow students often coming from poor families to finance their education and find a job after obtaining their bachelor degree.

References:
[1] Bernard F., 2006, « Les SIC une discipline de l’ouverture et du décloisonnement », in Bouzon A., dir., La communication organisationnelle en débat. Champs, concepts, perspectives, Paris, L’Harmattan, pp. 33 – 46.
[2] Bourret C., Meyer C., Fasshauer I., 2014, “New Challenges for Universities in France around Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Groups of Economic Activities Creators and Coworking Spaces”, ICERI 2014, 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Sevilla (Spain), November 17-19.
[3] Morin E., 1999, Seven complex lessons in education for future, Paris, UNESCO.

Keywords:

Innovation, learning, e-record, social responsibility of universities, bachelor degrees.