Update on RPL by Skills Block Pilot

Published on: 22/04/2021Updated on: 22/04/2021

In late 2020, IPERIA received DGEFP approval regarding the RPL by block pilot under the experimental and derogatory framework provided in Article 9 of the September 5, 2018 law on freedom to choose one's professional future. Let’s take stock of this project.

IPERIA Alongside the Government

RPL by block was established by a 2019 decree allowing, on an experimental basis, the completion of individual skills blocks through RPL. The Ministry of Labor tasked the DGEFP with conducting pilots, and the latter launched a call for participation from certifying bodies to see which would be interested in testing this system with their own certifications. Having supported certification of current and future employees in the individual employment and domestic work sector for over 25 years, IPERIA seized this opportunity in the second half of 2020. Indeed, this type of system can be a response to high-demand occupations and a solution to address the sector's qualification and workforce needs. The project is ambitious and carries implications beyond just the individual employment and domestic work sector. If the assessment is deemed conclusive, the government plans to institutionalize RPL by block at the end of the pilot and then open it to all certifying bodies.

Which Qualifications Are Targeted?

The pilot covers two level III RNCP qualifications for which IPERIA is the certifying body: the "Childcare Provider/Childminder" and "Dependency Personal Carer" qualifications, created and supported by the professional branches of childcare providers and domestic employees since 2009. To facilitate the pilot's implementation and meet the DGEFP's deadline of December 31, 2021, an initial group information session was held in January for training organizations accredited and authorized by IPERIA to provide certification. About ten have already expressed interest in the project.

Target Groups: Which Profiles Are Concerned?

The goal is to support about thirty people preparing for the "Dependency Personal Carer" qualification and the same number for "Childcare Provider/Childminder." Candidate selection covers 3 main profile types:

People with experience limited to one or several skills blocks
People wishing to validate their experience step by step, according to their personal wishes and priorities
People who have acquired one or more skills blocks present in IPERIA qualifications during a first jury and who wish to obtain additional certification or a complete qualification

Once candidates are placed in a single-block, multi-block, or complete qualification pathway, IPERIA and partner training organizations will support them through to the jury presentation, with a streamlined and individualized approach compared to the 24 hours funded under traditional RPL. The goal is for all professionals to have appeared before the jury by September.

Assessment: What Are the Pilot's Evaluation Criteria?

In the second half of the year, IPERIA will conduct a quantitative and qualitative evaluation to identify whether beneficiaries feel better recognized, whether individual employers view their work differently, but also whether they feel able to find new employment. The principle of completing skills blocks through RPL is based on the fact that the employer will expect certain know-how from the professional, but not necessarily all that corresponds to the complete qualification. The proposed hypothesis: employees who obtain skill blocks will experience a statistically significant increase in employment opportunities compared to those who do not.