Internships and apprenticeships in a CAP or agricultural CAP: learning on the job

Two similar qualifications, two ministries

In France, the certificat d’aptitude professionnelle, or CAP, comes under the Ministry of Education and covers dozens of trades: cooking, electrical work, hairdressing, painting, retail, early childhood care. The agricultural CAP, often abbreviated CAPA, depends on the ministry responsible for agriculture and prepares people for work with living things: animal or crop production, landscape gardening, stable work, services in rural areas.

Both are normally prepared over two years and lead to a first recognised level of vocational qualification. They rest on the same idea: you learn a trade by practising it. Yet the detailed rules (calendar, assessment, document templates) differ from one track to another, and even from one specialism to another. That is why you should always ask for the instructions that apply to your own course rather than copy those of a friend enrolled in a different CAP.

Three ways to prepare the qualification

At a vocational or agricultural school

The student keeps school status. Classes alternate with periods of training in a workplace, which add up to between twelve and sixteen weeks over the two years for a CAP run by the Ministry of Education. The exact length depends on the specialism and on the school’s own regulations.

At a family rural school (MFR)

The maisons familiales rurales use a particular kind of work-study: a few days at the centre, then a period on the farm or in the business, with regular follow-up from a trainer. This rhythm suits people who learn better in real situations.

As an apprenticeship

The young person signs a contract with an employer and attends classes at a training centre. They are an employee, paid a percentage of the minimum wage that depends on age and year of training, and the time spent with the employer is considerably longer than in the school route.

Choosing a host that really serves the qualification

A name from a neighbouring sector is not enough. A dairy farm will not offer the same learning as a riding centre, even though both belong to agriculture. Likewise, a staff canteen is no substitute for a high-end restaurant for a CAP in cooking.

Before accepting, put three questions to the teaching team: which activities absolutely must be practised during the period, which equipment or production is needed, and at what time of year? A CAPA in crop production, for example, calls for experience across the seasons of sowing, maintenance and harvest, rather than being confined to one repeated task.

Then compare this with what the business actually offers: variety of tasks, a supervisor who is available, safety equipment, distance and working hours. If the gap is too wide, it is better to look for another host than to commit and regret it.

Finding the business or the farm

Several routes can be combined. Teachers and trainers often know trustworthy employers who regularly take on young people. Agricultural professional networks, chambers of agriculture and employer groups also circulate offers. Finally, a direct approach works well in manual trades: turn up, leave a simple CV, offer to come back.

• Start with a reasonable search radius around your home or your boarding school.
• Call, if you can, outside the busiest moments: milking, harvest, the kitchen rush.
• Prepare one clear sentence: your qualification, your dates, what you hope to learn.
• Follow up once, politely, after a week.

Legal framework, safety and financial support

In the school route, the workplace period rests on an agreement signed by the school, the host business and the young person (or a legal guardian if they are under 18). It sets out the objectives, hours, the supervisor’s name and the conditions of the placement. Without a signed agreement, do not start.

A minor cannot be given just any task. Certain hazardous jobs, such as driving machinery, handling plant-protection products, working at height or dealing with unpredictable animals, are prohibited or allowed only through exemptions with precise conditions. If in doubt, ask the school before accepting an assignment.

Since the start of the 2023 school year, CAP and CAPA students in France have also received an allowance paid by the State for their workplace periods. When the reform was introduced, it was announced at 50 euros per week in the first year and 75 euros in the second. These amounts change: check the current figures with the school.

Showing what you can do

A successful period leaves records that are useful for assessment. From the first day, ask which monitoring document has to be completed and who (the supervisor or apprenticeship tutor) will observe your progress.

Then describe each task using a simple method:

1. the context: what job, on which machine or which crop;
2. the actions you carried out and those you only watched;
3. the success criteria given by the supervisor;
4. the mistakes spotted and the correction you made.

A photo of the finished task, taken with the employer’s permission, helps when preparing for the oral exam. Part of the assessment often takes place during the course and relies on situations you really experienced: it is better to note them as you go than to reconstruct your memories the night before.

An illustrative example: a year in a CAPA in landscape gardening

Imagine Lina, in the first year of a CAPA in landscape gardening. Her class plans, purely as an example, a four-week period in autumn and a six-week one in spring.

In autumn she works on pruning, clearing and planting perennials at a landscaping company. Her supervisor entrusts her with increasingly complex tools. She records in her logbook: weeding a flower bed, servicing a mower, reading a simple plan.

In spring she moves to a different company to discover large-scale mowing and lawn sowing. This variety gives her more to talk about on exam day, and she gains a clearer idea of which specialism interests her for the future.

Common mistakes and comparison with other routes

• Accepting a host that does not match the specialism being studied.
• Forgetting to have the agreement validated before starting.
• Neglecting safety instructions on the pretext of saving time.
• Not recording tasks as you go along.
• Waiting too long before reporting a problem with the supervisor.

Between the school route and an apprenticeship, the main difference is the relationship to work: the school student remains in a supervised learning situation, whereas the apprentice is an employee who has to hold down a job. The first suits those who want to keep a solid academic base, the second those who are ready to spend more time in the workplace.

After the CAP: what next?

The CAP or CAPA allows you to go straight into work, but many people continue. A vocational baccalaureate in two years can sometimes follow, depending on decisions made by the school or the training centre. A complementary mention adds a specific skill, for instance in pastry-making or animal care.

The choice depends on the trade you are aiming for, your wish to learn more and the chance of finding an employer. The supervisor is often the best adviser on job prospects in their own sector.