What salary maintenance during training involves
An employee who wants to change career can, under conditions, take leave from their job to follow a certified course while continuing to be paid. In France this scheme is called the projet de transition professionnelle, often shortened to PTP. It replaced the former individual training leave and relies on the personal training account, which serves as the financial entry point.
The key point to remember is that salary maintenance is not an automatic right. It rests on two separate decisions: the leave of absence granted by the employer, then the funding agreed by the regional association responsible for examining applications, called Transitions Pro. A course can be accepted by one without being accepted by the other, and your income during the course depends on the second decision.
During the absence, the employment contract is suspended as far as the duty to be present is concerned, but it remains in force. Training time counts as time actually worked: paid holiday continues to build up and social cover is maintained.
Who can apply: the length of service required
The conditions relate first to work experience. For an employee on a permanent contract, you need at least two years as an employee, continuous or not, including one year with your current employer. Length of service is assessed on the date you start training, which sometimes leaves room to wait a few weeks before applying.
For an employee on a fixed-term contract, the rule is different: two years of salaried work over the last five years, including four months on fixed-term contracts in the last twelve months. Agency temps and some intermittent workers come under special provisions, which should be confirmed with the regional association.
Several people go wrong by assuming that their whole record “counts” automatically. Internships, civic service and self-employed work do not enter the calculation of salaried activity. Gather your payslips and contracts before taking any step so that you can draw up a precise count.
How much is paid: calculating the reference salary
Pay during the project is not set freely: it is calculated from an average reference salary, established over the last twelve months for a permanent contract, or over the last four months of fixed-term contract for the employees concerned. A percentage is then applied according to the level of that salary, as provided by the rules applying in 2026.
- Reference salary up to twice the monthly minimum wage (Smic) (a little over 3,700 euros gross on the official page consulted): pay equals 100% of that salary.
- Above that threshold, for leave of up to one year: 90% of the reference salary.
- Above that threshold, for leave of more than one year: 90% in the first year, then 60%, with a floor at the level of the threshold for employees on permanent contracts.
These values change with the minimum wage and with regulations; before costing your budget, have the regional association confirm the threshold and the percentage that apply to your situation.
Who actually pays: the employer advances, the association reimburses
In practice, the employee keeps receiving their salary through the usual payroll channel. The employer pays the remuneration and is then reimbursed by the association funding the project, within the limits of the funding decision. That explains why the company is a real player in the scheme, even when it ends up funding nothing itself.
For this channel to work, two points should be settled in writing with the human resources department: the exact start date of the absence and the level of pay expected. A gap between what the association reimburses and what the company normally pays, for example for variable bonuses, can cause misunderstandings if nothing was specified beforehand.
Keep in mind that the funding decision may also cover tuition fees and, in some cases, part of the related costs such as travel, meals and accommodation. These items are handled separately from salary and must appear in the application.
Steps with your employer and the timetable to respect
The request for leave must be made in writing, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The notice periods depend on the course you have in mind:
- for a course of six months or more, taken in one block and full time, the request must reach the employer at least 120 calendar days before the start;
- for a shorter course, part-time or in several periods, the notice is 60 calendar days.
The employer has thirty days to reply; if there is no reply within that time, authorisation is deemed granted. However, the employer may postpone your departure by up to nine months if your absence would harm the business, or defer the request when too many employees are already away at the same time.
The funding application is filed with the regional association for the place where you live or work. It checks in particular that the course is eligible for the personal training account and leads to a certification. Plan ahead: applications are examined in set sessions, and the course start date may fall before the decision if you leave things late.
A worked example to picture the budget
Here is an illustration with round, hypothetical figures. An employee on a permanent contract has a reference salary of 2,800 euros gross a month. She takes a certified full-time course lasting ten months. Her reference salary is below the threshold mentioned above, so she receives the equivalent of 100% of that amount, that is 2,800 euros gross a month, as if she were working.
A colleague has a reference salary of 4,500 euros gross and plans an eighteen-month course. For the first twelve months he is paid at 90%, or 4,050 euros gross; after that the percentage falls to 60%, but for a permanent contract the amount cannot drop below the threshold of two times the minimum wage. The exact calculation must be confirmed by the regional association.
In both cases, add to your budget the costs that salary does not cover: unfunded travel, equipment, possible childcare and rent that does not go down during the period.
Preparing a solid application: project, course, case
The association looks at how coherent the project is, not just the cost of the course. A convincing application explains the target occupation, the reasons for the change, the steps already taken to check job prospects and the link between the chosen course and the certification obtained.
The elements that generally matter:
- a written presentation of the project, with exploratory interviews held with professionals in the target occupation;
- the detailed programme of the course, its length, its cost and the certification awarded;
- proof of length of service and recent payslips;
- the acknowledgement of receipt for the leave request sent to the employer.
Free support exists to build the project: career guidance advice (conseil en évolution professionnelle), offered by several operators, helps you clarify your goals, spot bridges between occupations and choose the right funding before committing.
Common mistakes that prove costly
The first mistake is to sign up for the course before obtaining the funding agreement. If the application is refused, the employee is left committed to the provider without any funding, which can amount to several thousand euros.
The second is to confuse leave authorisation with funding: a manager’s verbal agreement is worth neither. Insist on written decisions and keep them.
The third is to forget the end of the course. The employer must inform the employee, three months before the course ends, that they may return to their post or an equivalent one; the employee has one month to reply, failing which they are deemed to accept reinstatement. An employee who has already found another job must therefore react within the deadline.
Finally, many people underestimate the periods that are not covered: the gap between the end of the course and the first salary in the new occupation, or an exam period after classes finish.
Comparing with other sources of income during training
The career-transition project is aimed at employees in post. Other situations come under other rules: a jobseeker may receive the return-to-work allowance during training, or pay under the vocational training scheme; an employee can also use their personal training account during or outside working hours, without full salary maintenance; retraining or promotion through work-study uses a specific contract.
The choice depends on your status, the length of the change and how flexible your employer is. For a short course, negotiating a skills development plan with the company is sometimes simpler than putting together an outside funding application. For a genuine switch of occupation, though, the transition project remains the scheme best suited to anyone who wants to keep an income.
Frequently asked questions
Is my salary maintained at 100% during my career-transition project?
It depends on your reference salary. Up to twice the monthly minimum wage, pay equals the whole of that salary. Above that, it is reduced to 90%, then to 60% after one year of training. Have the regional association confirm the rules applying in 2026 before you set your budget.
Who actually pays my salary during the course?
Generally your employer keeps paying you through the usual channel, then is reimbursed by the association funding the project, within the limits of the funding decision. Agree the dates and the expected amount in writing with the payroll department, particularly for bonuses.
Can my employer refuse to let me go on a course?
They cannot refuse freely, but they can postpone your departure by up to nine months if the absence would harm the business, or defer it when too many employees are away. If there is no reply within thirty days of your written request, authorisation is deemed granted.
How much service do I need to apply?
On a permanent contract, two years of salaried work including one year with your current employer. On a fixed-term contract, two years over the last five including four months on fixed-term contracts in the last twelve. Length of service is calculated on the date you start training.
Are travel and meal costs covered?
They can be, on top of pay and tuition fees, depending on the association’s decision and the caps in force. List these costs in the application with precise estimates, and keep your receipts for any reimbursement.
What happens at the end of the course?
Your employer must inform you, three months before the end, that you can return to your post or an equivalent one. You have one month to reply. With no reply you are deemed to accept reinstatement, which matters if you already have another prospect.
Can a non-certified course be funded?
The scheme targets a course that is eligible for the personal training account and leads to a certification. A purely in-house course or one without recognition falls outside this framework. Check the programme’s eligibility with the regional association before any enrolment.