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Published on: 31/03/2022Updated on: 31/03/2022
In 2022, let's take up the employment and skills challenge for the professional branch of individual employment and domestic work. The stage is set, and the stakes are high. Nearly 220 professionals participated on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in a unifying event for the entire network of training organizations holding the IPERIA sector certification issued by the professional branch. A day of discussions initiated by IPERIA and the University of Home Care Services, broadcast live from Paris to support the network, provide insight into sector developments, and answer questions. The objective is to collectively grow the sector’s workforce skills, recognition, and quality to meet upcoming challenges.
Sector Developments to Enhance Career Appeal
A new national collective agreement (CCN) effective since January 1st, 2022, resulting from branch convergence, new social rights, the professional branch of individual employment, and domestic work is evolving. This evolution means adaptation. It's necessary to meet employment needs and implement a sustainable professionalization policy.
"Beyond the branch merger called for by the government, the sector aims to be dynamic and coherent. That’s why we wanted to align the implementation of this CCN with the immediate tax credit, which encourages the use of domestic work. The major challenge driving the sector today is attractiveness, as 800,000 jobs will need to be filled by 2030. Generational renewal, as is the aging national population and current employees, is at the heart of this issue. This new CCN stands as a key measure to improve attractiveness by opening up a new foundation of social rights for employees,"* explained Pierre-Olivier Ruchenstain, Managing Director of FEPEM.
Implementing a Sustainable Professionalization Policy
The branch's commitment to professionalization is demonstrated through the joint training agreement of November 17, 2020, which was extended in summer 2021. This foundational document emphasizes three main priorities.:
- Strengthening skills recognition through professional certification
- Further develop strategic forecasting of jobs and skills to align priority certification and training offerings
- Strengthening sector-level career guidance and development
These priorities build on a 20-year history of professionalization initiatives. IPERIA has been a longstanding partner in this work, joined more recently by the University of Home Care Services both helping to enhance the appeal of careers in this sector. This challenge is especially critical given the need to fill 800,000 positions in the coming years to maintain quality care and support.
"We represent particular and unique professions. Skills recognition helps establish a professional identity. And you, as training organizations, are major actors in this equation," emphasized Marielle Brouard, President of the CPNEFP of the professional branch of individual employment and domestic work. "This is the meaning of certification: looking together in the same direction to support employees and individual employers. This is why we need the commitment of all employment and training partners in supporting certification. This effort focuses on three key approaches: career pathways, sector-specific development, and broader accessibility."
Sector Certification at the Center of Professionalization
Following the professional training reform, the sector has put tremendous energy into ensuring that its uniqueness in professionalization is not only preserved but strengthened. Approaching 100,000 training enrollments in 2021 demonstrates this. Baptiste Lenfant, General Delegate of Groupement domicile et compétences, commends "the spirit of adaptation and capacity for innovation shown by all the stakeholders in the sector these past two years, particularly certified training organizations."
Indeed, the sector certification, essential for delivering priority training and/or certification programs, reinforces the branch's and IPERIA's commitment to promoting sector employment and recognizing skills. Its objectives consists of:
- Sharing and promoting the values upheld by the sector branch
- Offering a collaborative partnership, providing tools and accessibility to the programs
- Ensuring a typical level of commitment to guarantee service quality
Two hundred twenty-four training organizations currently hold this certification nationwide. Specifically, it allows them to:
- Be part of a dynamic and innovative network to advance professionalization together
- Request accreditation for implementing certification pathways for the three-level three qualifications "Childcare Provider / Childminder," "Family Assistant," and "Dependency Personal Carer" and certificates issued by IPERIA
- Apply for tenders launched by local stakeholders or specific project calls
- Benefit from sector expertise through dedicated events, meeting key players like the CPNEFP president or FEPEM managing director, present on March 30
- Benefit from enhanced support from IPERIA and UDD teams (activity development, action promotion, communication kit, etc.)
Supporting the CPNEFP in certification, IPERIA redesigned the certification framework in 2021 to align with its objectives. The framework is now territorialized and issued for a renewable period of up to three years, based on an application process and committee review, which includes joint representatives. This approach reflects IPERIA's commitment to optimizing the distribution of priority certifications and training across the territory, leveraging the expertise and influence of training organizations among local stakeholders.Nadège Turco, Deputy Director of IPERIA, reminded: "The certification aims to engage, through you, each current and future sector employee in a professionalization pathway."
Source: V. Lagandré, I. Puech, "Employment and skills needs in the domestic work sector by 2030", Family Employment Barometer, n°36, Domestic Employment Observatory, June 2021.
