Cover sheet Country: Sector: Level: FRANCE Bank EQF Level: 6 IT NQF Level: 2 Institution (private/state): Name of the study program: University of Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines (UVSQ) Public Institution Licence Professionnelle, LP (Work-focused Bachelor s degree) Insurance Banking Finance «Customer management advisor for individual market» Duration (in years/months): 2 semesters, 1 year Credits: 60 ECTS (accumulated to 120 ECTS or 120 ECVET from prerequisite degree) Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 1
1) State of play/ macro level (please provide a short résumé of the macro level grid (1/2 1 page), how could the situation in your country be summarized concerning qualifications at Level 5 &6, what is the national context, (what is considered to be HE, how could the learning culture be characterized, etc.) In France, all the qualifications are accessible as well after the initial education, or a continuing education programme, as, for the most part of them, by means of validation of prior and experiential learning. The initial and continuing higher education system comprises many types of institutions (Universities, Institutes of Technology, Grandes Ecoles, secondary high schools, consular and private institutions ), which allow different levels of studies. Generally speaking, higher education in France is organized in four levels of degrees: high-level technician (DUT or BTS), Bachelor s, master s, and doctorate s. These levels of degrees cover three different types of education: jobfocusing education, academic education and pre-vocational (qualification-granting) study. A specificity of the French system is, on one hand, the existence of grandes écoles (higher education schools) - engineering and management schools - separated for a part of them from the university system, and, on the other hand, the existence of vocational training programmes implemented as well in secondary school (BTS and other certificates of high-level technician) as in sectoral bodies (Brevet professionnel, Certificat de qualification professionnel vocational certificates). The French higher education integrates in its programmes many possibilities for continuation, reorientation, insertion and resumption of studies. The short-term education programmes are implemented at the following institutions : the Institutes of Technology inside the university ( IUT), which is granting the DUT (university degree of technology ), the university granting the DEUST diploma, the high school or other education institutions granting the BTS (certificate of high-level technician), private institutions, consular institutions (chamber of commerce and industry, guild chamber, or sector-related institutions granting recognized titles or vocational qualifications (CQP)). The long-term education programmes at the university granting Bachelor s, Master s or Doctorate s degrees. The long-term programmes in specialized schools granting engineer titles or more or less equivalent recognized titles. The higher education programmes in France are situated at levels III, II and I within the classification in term of levels of study (created in 1969). In this list, the levels are organized from I to V, in an decreasing order: the level I is corresponding to the highest level of qualification. The classification of 1969 allows two approaches: the first one defines a hierarchy on the basis of learning pathway (generally translated in number of years of study), the second one defines a hierarchy on the basis of correspondence with jobs and positions that the holders of qualification can assume according to the aimed job or position, with defined degrees of responsibility and autonomy. The levels III and II are corresponding to the levels 5 and 6 within the EQF system. The national qualifications referential ( RNCP) lists the qualifications with a view to these two approaches. This referential comprises approximately 11 000 qualifications related to higher education. The development of the RNCP allowed to improve the classic approach in terms of contents towards a presentation in terms of learning outcomes. Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 2
2) Short presentation of the institution and the selected program (please provide a short summary about the institution and the background of the selected program you are presenting (origin and history of the selected program, accreditation and building process,etc, core elements of the organisational structure (e-learning, specific modules in the evening, weekend, assessment procedures, etc..) Founded in 1991 and strongly supported by territorial bodies, the University of Versailles Saint- Quentin en Yvelines (UVSQ) is participating to the Yvelines regional development and situated in the heart of seven cities (Versailles and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, as well as Le Chesnay, Mantesla-Jolie, Mantes-la-Ville, Rambouillet and Vélizy). Recently, the university is also implanted in the Hauts-de-Seine department, with the integration of the Medicine pole of study in Garches (Garches, Boulogne), currently has over 16,000 students. The UVSQ, university of proximity, meets expectations and learning needs of different publics: young people in initial education, employees or job-seekers in resumption of studies in initial or in continuing education, private companies and public institutions (approximately 16 000 students and 2000 learners in continuing education). The UVSQ, the multi-disciplinary university offers more than 160 programmes in the following domains : pure science, social science, human science, legal and political science, engineering, technology and medicine. The diversity and complementarity of teaching, the multiplicity of methods and educational practices and the range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses enable the education of general practitioners, technicians, engineers, researchers and managers. The qualification Insurance Banking Finance «Customer management advisor individual market» was designed in the context of evolution and renewal of banking occupations. Indeed, given the current age structure, in the forthcoming years the banking-insurance sector will have to recruit many qualified employees, mastering a sound economic, financial and banking background and holding a Bachelor degree. The Economic Sciences Department of UFR of Social Sciences and Humanities within UCSQ proposed this qualification programme for accreditation in 2007, to be open to apprenticeship training in cooperation with CFPB (CFA for banking industry). This proposal is part of a strategy aiming at ensuring higher employability levels for level L student, hoping to provide students who begin graduate studies in Economics with a set of perspectives, both in terms of employment and continuation of studies (considering that levels L1 and L2 are common for economics and management studies, at that level L3, provides other specialisations). The objective of the Qualification«Customer management advisor individual market» is to train customer advisors who are polyvalent and able to develop. Polyvalence refers to the variety of transactions processed which should meet all needs expressed by their individual customers. The development potential refers to the ability to fulfil over time management responsibilities. Upon completion of training, the junior customer management advisor must be able to handle a portfolio of mid-range individual customers. To this purpose, they must: Acquire a strong economic, legal and tax culture Strengthen their technical knowledge Adopt a comprehensive approach in the business relationship with customers The training also aims to develop students initiative, autonomy, adaptability and mobility within the company through tutored projects, internships and concrete case studies. The Qualification programme also meets the needs and expectations of employees motivated by career development aspirations. There are three types of tasks entrusted to advisors. They must: Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 3
Prospect and sell banking-insurance products and services Advice customers, especially those in their own portfolio with whom they must maintain a personalised relationship Manage customer dossiers the Qualification«Customer management advisor individual market» aims to train advisors whose competences may be re-grouped into three sub-sets: Generic competences covering the following main study areas: Economics and Banking and Financial Management (institutions, interest rates and actuarial calculations, economics of the banking organisation) Law (civil law, commercial law, banking law) individuals taxation. Technical competences include: knowledge of individual market, opening and management of deposit accounts knowledge of banking services, banking and no-banking savings products, financial products - funding operations: cash loans, consumption and mortgage loans prevention and management of risk customers insurance of goods and people comprehensive approach of customer mastery of banking pricing customer portfolio management and development. Behaviour competences: methodology of written and oral professional communication marketing techniques use of at least one foreign language and IT tools sales and negotiation techniques. Modes For candidates in initial training, the programme is delivered as alternate training through apprenticeship contract in cooperation with the Apprentice Training Centre (CFA) Occupations in Banking and Finance located in Paris 75017, website: http://www.banque-apprentissage.com/ Training alternates course periods (2 weeks) and work-based training in companies (2 weeks). The overall programme alternates about 19 weeks course with 33 weeks in-company training. The educational component of training is ensured both by UVSQ researchers and by CFPB professionals, website: http://www.cfpb.fr/ - Training content - Module 1 Banking environment 147h - 15 ECTS Module 1.A. Actors involved in banking and financial system - 42h Module 1.B. Financial environment, financial and risk management - 42h Module 1.C. Legal environment - 42h Module 1.D. Fiscal environment - 21h Module 2 Practice of banking activity - 147h - 15 ECTS Module 2.A. Products and services for individual customers - 35h Module 2.B. Prevention and management of risks arising from relationships with individual customers - 14h Module 2.C. Banking, non-banking an financial savings products - 35h Module 2.D. Insurance activity- 21h Module 2.E. Customer approach - 42h Module 3 Banking instruments - 133h - 15 ECTS Module 3.A.Financial Mathematics - 21h Module 3.B. Informatics - 14h Module 3.C. Banking and financial English - 21h Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 4
Module 3.D. Professional communications - 28h Module 3.E. Optimisation of business conduct - 49h - Module 4. Tutored project, logbook, internship report -140h -15 ECTS - 3) Access regulations/ recognition of prior learning or prior experiential learning Please describe in full detail Who are the target groups for these programs (traditional students/adults) What access conditions exist (explaining regulations/procedures/agreements with other institutions, also for case by case practices, role of involved ministries, etc.) Standards for validation of prior/experiential learning Qualification programmes are available both as initial and continuing training. Validation of prior learning may be applied for those who meet the requirements. Entry requirements 120 ECTS credits obtained following courses (L2) focused on Economics, Management, AES, Law or DUT GEA, GACO, TC, DEUST Recruitment is based on evaluation of application dossier and a motivation interview Access to training in this specialisation is conditioned by signing of an apprenticeship contract The recruitment process for alternate students takes places between February and May/June through the CFA websites. The evaluation of application dossiers is a joint process involving cooperation between CFA which performs pre-selection of applications, the banking partner who interviews applicants and the University which audits and validates the academic dossiers of applicants in early July. For applicants to continuing training, validation of prior learning may be organised. The procedure for validation of learning applied by UVSQ will allow those who meet the work experience requirements to: o be admitted to continuing training without holding prerequisite diplomas (APL by low of 1985) o acquire all or some of the Qualification units (APEL by low of 2002) 4) Relationships with employers and institutions Please provide detailed information about contributions of companies in programs, equipment, finances participation of professionals in normal courses, together with academics university courses combined with periods in companies, apprenticeship Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 5
The viewpoint of the employers regarding the described programs (e.g. how is the level of acceptance, attractiveness of the program/the graduates, preferences of certain levels, etc.) Professionals in the banking sector, especially CFPB representatives were part in the development of the accreditation dossier for this specialisation. Professionals contribute in different ways in training delivery: - Some courses are taught by professionals (especially by professionals in the banking field members of CFPB) - Supervision during work-based training (alternate or internship) is ensured by an apprenticeship foreman in cooperation with the pedagogical tutor. - Industry representatives are present to accreditation works Sometimes, an entire group of students is trained to meet the needs of one or several companies. Businesses contribute through the apprenticeship tax and financing of continuing vocational training. 5) Current situation regarding learning outcomes (please describe to which extent and how the presented program is based upon the principals of learning outcomes, meaning the three descriptors of EQF (knowledge, skills and personal and professional competences) and/or how much the design of the program is representing the content based approach) The qualification programme was designed by defining activities and competences expected upon completion of training programme, starting from the occupational analysis for customer advisor, performed by CFPB. Presentation of learning outcomes based on the 3 EQF descriptors is still to be developed. 6) Links between the subsystems (vocational, general and higher education) Please describe Which kind of links and bridges exist between the different subsystems? Links and bridges existing with other qualifications for access to the programme and for continuity after completion of the programme Are these links and bridges negotiated? Are they only a form of recognition? Are these links and bridges included in a strategy or just happening? What are the obstacles (institutional, legal, pedagogical, cultural, and technical?) Job prospects Customer management advisor on the individual customers market in banking-insurance. Possible promotion to manager advisor on the individual customers market and to management positions within the agency. Continuation of studies in the UVSQ Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 6
Qualification was designed to ensure access to employment. It does not aim at continuation of studies, though it may be considered. Other institutions may accept in their branch a LP holder. Nevertheless, after several years experience LP holders may return to studies with or without APEL. 7) General reflexive section Please state What were the challenges in obtaining all necessary information for the case study? What are your prepositions and recommendations? What hasn t been said? Creation of LP «Banking» raises the possibility to become BTS Banking. Can we clearly distinguish between learning outcomes targeted by LP and those targeted by BTS? For DUT it is a form of post-commercial specialisation in the banking-insurance field. What relationships may be established between CFRB Qualification s and national diplomas such as Banking professional Qualification? May this level 6 diploma find equivalents in other European countries? Cooperation between banking sector and universities require a thorough analysis of likely development of competences within the field and of relations to be established with learning outcomes expected upon completion of training. Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 7