CFA des 3 villes

Our vocational school, CFA des 3 villes (training centre), was created in

1974. The CFA is managed by an association called APAM (Association for

Apprenticeship in Mayenne). Its members include the mayors of the three

main towns in the Mayenne department: LAVAL, CHATEAU-GONTIER and

MAYENNE.

 

The department of Mayenne is situated in western France, in a region called "Pays de la Loire".

 

The role of the CFA is to complete the vocational training of apprentices.

Each apprentice has to sign an apprenticeship contract with an

employer. Alternatively, the apprentices come to our school for one

week and go to work for two weeks. Our CFA ensures a theoretical and a

practical training in addition to the one they get at work.

 

1300 apprentices are trained in various departments. Different diplomas

(39 exactly), starting with the low level CAP (Certificate of

Professional Capacity), to the high level BTS (Certificate of High

Level Technician) are proposed - depending on the school background of

the apprentice. The departments proposed by our school are:  Catering,

Confectionary, Chemist's assistant, Retailing, Construction, Car

engineering, Computing, Metalworking.

 

Involving in different European programs, learning a foreign language

is important for our apprentices. English is mostly compulsory, German

optional. During their apprenticeship, our apprentices can choose

either a short stay work experience (one week) or a long stay work

experience (3 weeks - Leonardo da Vinci Program) in a foreign country.

The European program "Comenius" gives the opportunity to work on

special themes. This year, students from 6 different European countries

are working on the issue "respect". But we also have European programs

funded by our Regional Council, called TOPE-Partenaire and

TOPE-International, allowing young professionals (after their exams)

working for nine months in a foreign country.

 

Our European Department of Apprenticeship (European class) exists since

2004. Young foreigners can do an apprenticeship for one year in France.

During school year 2006-2007, we had the opportunity to welcome Greek,

Latvian, German and Spanish young people and training them in two

departments : Catering and Confectionary. But other departments of our

CFA can be concerned as well.