ASFORED, the training center of the French Syndicat National de l'Edition (SNE)

Training for the publishing industry at ASFORED (Paris)

Created in 1972 by the SNE, Asfored is a non profit-making association whose statutory aim is to conceive and put into practice training strategies for the world of publishing. At first, continuing vocational courses were our principal activity, but after the creation of initial training schemes like the Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS) de fabrication de l'édition , i n 1978, and the Specialised Master Management for the Publishing Industry écialisé Management de l'Edition , in 1991, our range was greatly widened.

In the nineties, ASFORED also created an Audit and Consultation offer.

Since 2000, via our Internet site www.asfored.org, we have been providing a free recruitment service for the book trade.

Training - the legal context in France

The training budget

French law stipulates that firms with a staff of more than 10 must devote 1.60% of the wage bill to continuing vocational courses. This sum covers salaries and charges due for the training time as well as the cost of the courses themselves.

For those firms with less than 10 employees, the sum is 0.55%.

Moreover, 0.68% of the wage bill must go to organisations specialised in providing initial training schemes for young people (Apprenticeship Tax).

Access to training

The law of May 4, 2004 established 4 means of financing professional training. It is possible to benefit from training within the following frameworks:

– The ‘DIF' (Individual right to training), which gives full-time employees the right to 20 hours of training each year (accumulating up to 120 hours);

– the ‘Plan de Formation de l'Entreprise' (Corporate training plan), whereby the employer proposes training in the aim of improved adaptation to a function or the evolution and development of skills.

– a ‘Contrat de Professionnalisation', allowing young people under the age of 26 and the unemployed the possibility, for a period of 6 - 24 months, to access a trade;

– a ‘Période de Professionnalisation', whose aim is to encourage and facilitate the preservation of permanent employment

Employees can also request a ‘Congé Individuel de Formation', (usually for training lasting several months).

ASFORED's vocational courses

The courses we provide are designed to satisfy the training needs of the publishing industry in the widest sense, producers of books, electronic products, reviews, catalogues, brochures… from product conception to commercialisation, and financial, legal or economic management.

As well as publishing, other sectors like advertising, public or private concerns, industrial or commercial firms, come to Asfored to seek training for those members of their staff whose task is to conceive or diffuse printed or multimedia products.

Each year, between 1200 and 1500 people come to ASFORED, to participate in approximately 220 to 230 courses which may be divided into two main categories : open courses, and in company training.

Open courses

The detailed programmes of these courses appear in a catalogue which is revised each autumn in collaboration with professionals. Training officers within the firms use the catalogue to help them construct the following year's plan.

Preparation, control during the training and evaluation are carried out in close collaboration with the trainers and the client-firms.

More than 100 courses are completed in this way every year.

In company training

In 2006, 200 courses were conceived and organised in this way. Companies increasingly prefer this type of training, which can satisfy the need of one particular team in their specific situation. The aim may be to acquire new skills or knowledge, to improve performance or to keep up with technical evolution. The course may take place in ASFORED's premises or in the firm (which means in the provinces as well as in Paris ).

ASFORED's initial training schemes

The CFA (apprenticeship school) in publishing

Since 1978, we have been preparing young school-leavers with A levels for the Brevet de Technicien Supérieur de fabrication de l'édition , a state diploma.

Until 1996, their training took place at ASFORED full time. Today we work hand in hand with firms who employ apprentices. Apprentices spend half of their working time in the firm, where they gain practical skills, and half in ASFORED, where they receive theoretical training. Pedagogical meetings are arranged between training officers in charge of apprenticeship within the firms and teachers, in order to harmonise the two learning experiences. The acquisition of new production techniques is a priority.

This comes in answer to the demands of today's firms, knowledge and experience. In two years, the apprentice acquires the theoretical basis which is essential if he/she is to advance, and the practical experience necessary to be immediately operational.

More than 600 young graduates to date have entered the production departments of publishing houses.

The Specialised Master Management for the Publishing Industry

Created in 1991, the course is organised and run in partnership with ESCP-EAP (Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris ).

Participants are young graduates who have at least 5 years of university studies behind them.

In the space of one year, they learn the skills necessary for the job of publishing manager or project manager.

The four-months period spent in a publishing house gives them the opportunity to produce a project which forms the subject of their thesis, and a presentation at the end of the course to a jury of professionals.

Each year's group is made up of around 20 students, of whom one or two are natives of another country. More than 250 young graduates to date have entered the editorial, marketing and multimedia departments of publishing or communication firms in this way.

Other activities

Audit and Consultancy

ASFORED is regularly asked to do an audit by firms who are keen to advance and so to bring their employees' skills up to date. It may be centred on the installation of new software, the organisation of a new production chain, or the capacity of a given team to take on new tasks. The aim is to identify the training needs in order to achieve the desired level of competence.

In 2006, we realised an audit in the aim of adapting regional policy to the needs of publishing houses.

The Web , www.asfored.org

The ASFORED Internet site offers firms and professionals in the world of publishing and multimedia a free service of job offers and requests, as well as information on the various professions in publishing, training, etc.

Every two months, a newsletter is sent by email to subscribers, developing subjects linked to our different activities.

Those who participate in our training courses have access, for a period of three months, to complementary pedagogical resources (documents, quizzes, glossaries, etc.) and FAQs.