REVISED GRID FOR MICRO LEVEL APPROACH

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REVISED GRID FOR MICRO LEVEL APPROACH

Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 1

Cover sheet

Country: FRANCE Sector: Bank IT Level: EQF Level: 5 NQF Level: 3

Institution (private / state): CFPB (Training Centre for the Banking Industry)

Name of the study program: BTS BANQUE

Duration (in years/months): 2 years

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 2 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: job-focusing 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

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 3 education. The development of the RNCP allowed to improve the classic approach in terms of

contents towards a presentation in terms of learning outcomes.

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..)

As a training centre for the banking sector CFPB aims to assist all businesses in the sector with the training and certification of their employees, regardless of their profession, throughout their professional life:

• Firstly, with the professional integration of young employees, by means of alternate training programmes (apprenticeship and vocational training contracts), involving 8,000 young people in the banking sector every year.

Banking organisations regard alternate training as a privileged way of recruiting new employees. CFPB, as training centre for the banking sector comprises a network of 11 regional centres at national level, backed by 14 CFA Banques, whose collective mission is to develop the alternate training

programme for the benefit of all banks and to coordinate the partnerships in place with schools and universities. The alternate training provision targets young graduates with qualifications ranging from the baccalaureate diploma to BAC+4/+5 (BP in banking, BTS in banking, professional banking degree, Master’s in finance)

• Second, with skills development for all employees, at each stage during their career, may it be acquiring fundamentals, improving in a business or in a field, developing expertise …

duet o a wide range of courses leading to a qualification (diploma issued by the State

or by CFPB, as applicable) which, as the case might be, either provide training for a given profession or are based on a more cross-functional approach (see the scheme below and training courses chart on the next page)

…or due to internships and advanced training or job adaptation modules, delivered

either in face-to-face or distance learning format, available as “off the shelf” (inter-company models) or tailor made (intra-(inter-company models): this provision targets mainly the individual customer market, the professional and corporate market, wealth management, the financial markets, back-office banking, management and staff development, as well as, on a more cross-functional level, the main collective subjects affecting the profession (fight against money laundering, for example) The higher technician certificate in “Banking”, option A: individual customer market, option B: professional and corporate market was created to respond to a demand of banking professionals representatives who wanted the reform of the first level diploma n their profession.

Currently, the first level of certification is the banking professional certificate, a level 4 diploma awarded only in the continuing training system. Since the last reform of the general provisions on this diploma, professionals in the field have realised it did not guarantee anymore that the holders of this

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 4 diploma had acquired the necessary knowledge to practice the profession.

Moreover, developments in the field as well as growth of new domains, especially insurance, lead to a more and more complex level of necessary knowledge.

The assessment leading to the higher technician certificate in Banking involves six mandatory tests and an optional one.

This project defined the common units and provides for equivalence opportunities for holders of other higher technician certificates or technology degrees.

The professional internship duration is twelve weeks.

This project has received favourable endorsement of the 18th Professional Consultative Commission „other activities of the tertiary sector” during the meeting held on the 27th of April 2001.

Objectives: activities and competences

This higher technician certificate aims at training collaborators for businesses in the banking sector, as defined by the Monetary and Financial Code, article L.511-1, title 1, section 5; the certificate holders should have knowledge of economy and banking law, as well as a high technical level in client management.

2.1. Definition of occupations

The diploma holder will practice, based on the chosen specialisation, either on the individual customer market or on the professional or corporate market.

The diploma holder will work within a business from the banking sector, as defined by the Monetary and Financial Code, title 1, section 5, especially those indicated by article L.511-1. Such businesses operate either at national level or as regional entities within a group. The diploma holders shall practice in relation to the customers whose management was allocated to them. They will work in various working contexts that change during time, depending on the company size and organisation type. Their actions shall comply with the general rules regulating the banking sector and with the company own procedures.

2.2 – Professional context 2.2.1 – Occupations involved

The BTS Banking holder will mainly hold positions such as „customer advisor”, individual or professional o corporate banking, based on the chosen specialisation. These technical and commercial positions are very much based on IT&C; the BTS holders have a direct and follow up relation with their customers. Performance of their tasks may involve functional and/or geographic mobility. Irrespective of the company size, they represent the company in the operations they perform with customers.

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 5 They carry out their activities in organisations in the banking sector:

• Bank

• Mutual or cooperative bank

• deposit and consignment offices

• municipal loan offices

• finance company

• Post-office financial unit

This specialisation contributes graduates’ employability by providing the necessary competences to ensure adequate performance of professional tasks. The customer advisor holding the BTS Banking may advance during his/her career to management positions by internal promotion or by integration within a higher education cycle.

2.2.2 – Environment

Since mid-‘80s the banking sector has seen major changes in terms of requirements for exercising the functions, the nature of activities, profiles of positions held by employees in the sector.

Requirements for exercising banking functions

Traditionally managed mostly by public authorities, the banking activity witnessed a deregulation stage characterised by higher freedom of intervention in various fields, such as loans, with eliminating various rules on discount or quality control.

Currently, the intervention area is much wider but also subject to much stronger competition from national and international competitors after the creation of the European Financial Area.

Nature of banking activity

Mainly based on brokerage (the brokers’ elimination process had a major impact only for productive enterprises), the nature of banking activity has witnessed significant developments:

• Firstly, in the field of loan distribution and bank deposits management where many products

were developed to meet the growing requirements of a pool of customers who became more sensitive to the market supply and to the multitude of competing banks;

• Then in the fields of financial savings, by creating numerous collective management

structures designed to support the development of the financial market.

Generally, many additional products and services were created for the qualitative and quantitative development of the provision proposed to customers.

The commissions generated by such activities have a significant contribution to the bank profitability. In this context, the most spectacular development was certainly the focus on bank insurance, banking companies already settled on the individual insurance market developing new partnerships with insurance companies so that they may promote property and casualty insurance.

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 6 Job profiles

The past fifteen years have been characterised by reallocation of staff towards trade activities. Actually, the development of IT instruments allowed for the automation of most back-office

operations which used to require significant human resources in the past. Most staff in the field deal now directly with customers and hold highly commercial positions.

III – DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES 3.1 – Activity fields

The diploma holders perform their tasks within a technical and commercial position.

This leads to a set of activities (individual customer market, professional market) which are part of the policy defined both at commercial and organisational and legal levels.

The activities are relatively different, according to the market specific characteristics (individual customer market, professional and corporate market)

Individual customer market

The employee advising individual customers must work with a wide range of individual customers, may they be active or not (students, employees, job-seekers, retired customers …)

Their mission encompasses three dimensions:

• creating and developing a relationship based on trust, customised according to each

customer, in line with the commercial policy adopted by the organisation

• quantitative and qualitative development of goodwill, especially by improving the level of

products and services for customers

• contribution to a quality front-desk

Professional market

The professional market encompasses craftsmen, tradesmen, freelancers, farmers and small enterprises.

Generally, there is no customer-based specialization (specific to the professional market) and the responsibility for these customers includes all components of this market.

Their mission encompasses three dimensions:

• Management and qualitative and quantitative development of a customer portfolio, in

compliance with the commercial policy adopted by the organisation,

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 7 customers”,

• Development of an overall approach for “professional customers”.

3.2 – Delimitation of activities

Activities undertaken by diploma holders include the following processes: Individual customer market:

1. Open and manage accounts

2. Sell account-related products and services

3. Promote and use information communication technologies

4. Sell banking and non-banking savings products

5. Sell financial investment products, especially collective management

6. Promote consumption loans and prepare the dossiers

7. Promote mortgage loans and prepare the dossiers

8. Promote insurance products

9. Follow-up and manage client risks

Professional market:

1. Open and manage accounts

2. Sell account-related products and services

3. Sell treasury management products

4. Promote and use information communication technologies

5. Perform economic and financial analysis of customer situation, risk assessment and follow-up

6. Promote financing types for exploitation cycles and prepare the dossiers

7. Promote types of investment financing types and prepare the dossiers

8. Customer profitability analysis

9. Promote insurance products

10. Manage private operations engaged by customers

Each of the above-mentioned processes entails activities involving tasks which may require cooperation with several employees of the entity.

IV – DIPLOMA HOLDER PROFILE

Performance of these tasks and activities involves various competences grouped in four main categories:

• General competences

• Economic, legal and fiscal competences

• Technical competences specific to the banking and insurance fields

• Behaviour and commercial competences

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• Understanding the economic and professional environment

• Mastery of oral and written communication (including in a foreign language)

• Sales and commercial negotiation skills;

and, based on the target market:

• Knowledge of the legal framework of activity and skills to analyse applicable taxation

regulations

• Mastery of the set of techniques applicable to the banking and insurance fields

• Good ICT skills

as well as personal qualities and skills:

• Accuracy and concern for quality

• High sense of communication

• Capacity to take distance from a problem in order to find the appropriate solution that would

meet both customer expectations and organisation commercial policy

• Adaptability

• Team work skills, doubled by autonomy in decision-making and initiative within the limits of

pre-defined level of responsibility

• Capacity to organise own activities

• Rational and logical thinking skills

• Curiosity and concern for self-improvement, especially in the ICT field

All these skills and qualities shall involve compliance with banking deontology. The training may be delivered in different modes:

- Classical initial training – full-time training with company internship

- Initial training - apprenticeship

- Alternate continuing training

- Continuing training with possible validation of prior learning

PROGRAMME UNITS 1 GENERAL SCHEME U1 French U2 Foreign language U3.1 General Economics and Enterprise Economics U3.2 Monetary and Banking Economics – General and Banking Law U4 Customer Relationship Management and Professional Communication U5.A Banking Techniques for Individual Customer Market U5.B Banking Techniques for Professional Market U6 Performance and Presentation of Professional Activities OR

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 9 The trainees choose the BTS training type in their first year of training, based on the unit they prefer to follow (U5A - Banking Techniques for Individual Customer Market OR U5B - Banking Techniques for Professional Market )

2. DEFINITION OF UNITS 1) Compulsory units Unit U1 : French

Unit 1 “French” validates competences set by the Decision of March 30, 1989 „learning objectives, contents in the field of French language for the higher technician certificate” (published in OJ 21 / May 25, 1989

Unit U2 : Foreign language

Unit 2 – “Foreign Language” validates the skills and competences included in the training standards. The authorised foreign languages are: English, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

This unit covers three fundamental axes:

1) Essentially professional objectives involving mastery of a foreign language as conversation language or not.

2) Core competences:

• Understanding of written professional documents, brochures, dossiers, press articles …

• Understanding of written information of professional nature

• Writing skills: taking notes, drafting summaries, minutes, messages

• Oral skills: communication in the foreign language, simple conversation or phone

conversation 3) Knowledge:

• linguistic fundamentals from the curriculum of terminal years of study

• language morphosyntax used in typical professional situations

• terminology and vocabulary of professional field

Unit U3.1 : General Economics and Enterprise Economics

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 10 competences from the General Economics and Enterprise Economics curriculum for higher

technicians sections in the tertiary sector set by Decision of July 26, 1995 Unit U3.2 : Monetary and Banking Economics – General and Banking Law

Unit U3.2: Monetary and Banking Economics – General and Banking Law validates acquisition of necessary economic and legal knowledge and competences for performing banking activities both on the individual and professional markets.

Unit U4 : Customer Relationship Management and Professional Communication

Unit U4: Customer Relationship Management and Professional Communication allows for validation of acquisition of the necessary technical, behaviour and commercial competences, indispensable for effective communication with individual or professional customers.

Unit U5 A: Banking Techniques for Individual Customer Market

Unit U5 A allows for validation of knowledge and competences that are specific to individual customer market.

Unit U5 B : Banking Techniques for Professional Market

Unit U5 B allows for validation of knowledge and competences that are specific to professional market.

Unit U 6 : Performance and Presentation of Professional Activities

Unit U6 “Performance and Presentation of Professional Activities” validates acquisition within professional contexts of knowledge and skills covered mainly by the following units “Banking Techniques” (specific to the option chosen by the candidate), “Monetary and Banking Economics - General and Banking Law”, “Customer Relationship Management and Professional Communication” 2) Optional Unit

Unit UF.1 : Foreign Language II

The optional Foreign Language unit validates, just like Unit 2, but for a different language, candidate’s skills to have a dialogue in a professional context, to use sources of professional information in the respective foreign language, to analyse a situation based on the linguistic and social and cultural context of the respective country.

Authorised foreign languages under Unit OU.1 are set by notification no 92-230 of April 14, 1994. TIMETABLE PROPOSAL

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Weekly schedule Weekly schedule

Overall a + (b) Annual schedule Overall a + (b) Annual schedule French 3 h. 2 + (1) h 84 h. 3 h. 2 + (1) h 84 h. Foreign Language 2 h. 1 + (1) h 56 h. 2 h. 1 + (1) h 56 h. General Economics 2 h. 2 h 56 h. 2 h. 2 h 56 h. Enterprise Economics 2 h. 2 h 56 h. 2 h. 2 h 56 h.

Monetary and Banking Economics – General and Banking Law

5 h. 3 + (2) h 140 h. 5 h. 3 + (2) h 140 h.

Customer Relationship

Management and Professional Communication

4 h. 2 + (2) h 112 h. 4 h. 2 + (2) h 112 h.

Banking Techniques 7 h. 5 + (2) h 196 h. 7 h. 5 + (2) h 196 h.

Applied Banking Techniques 5 h. 1 + (4) h 140 h. 5 h. 1 + (4) h 140 h.

Career Guidance 1 h. 1 h 28 h. 1 h. 1 h 28 h. TOTAL 31 h. 19 + (12) h. 868 h. 31 h. 19 + (12) h 868 h.

Autonomous access to the ICT lab (1) 3 h. 3 h 84 h. 3 h. 3 h 84 h. Optional course: - foreign language 2 2 h 2 h 56 h. 2 h. 2 h 56 h. Allocation : a + (b) a : full-class courses

(b) group-courses when necessary. These courses include: practical activities, seminars, synthesis professional activities.

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During these hours, students have “self-service” access to the IT labs. This allows students access to all documentation, pedagogical and technological resources indicated by the pedagogical team. They should be included in the weekly schedule of students taking into consideration the IT and

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 12 NOTES:

1) The pedagogical team may adapt the annual schedule based on a joint project to allow for adapted pedagogical practices.

2) For students other than BAC STT graduates, the annual schedule in the first year of training shall be extended by 3 hours weekly. These hours shall be allocated for basic economic and legal studies, office tools, commercial, accounting and administrative techniques. Such hours may be used in a flexible manner along the year.

3). Applied banking activities may be delivered mainly by the tenured professor for the banking techniques course (full-class lectures) and half of these hours shall have seminars.

Additional seminar hours shall be ensured as follows:

- during year I, by the tenured professor for the Monetary and Banking Economics – General

and Banking Law course

- during year II, by the tenured professor for the Customer Relationship Management and

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 13 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

•

BTS Banking is open for holders of level IV diplomas or equivalent, both in initial and continuing training. Recognition of prior experiential learning may be provided for persons who meet the procedure requirements.

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

• 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.)

BTS Banking courses are delivered in partnership with companies in the banking sector, especially for work-based training (internship, alternance). Professionals in the field may participate as lecturers in the courses. Some types of apprenticeship are delivered within banking CFA.

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)

BTS in Banking is output-based and it was designed based on expected competences upon completion of training.

Nevertheless, programme description based on the three EQF descriptors shall be completed in a further stage.

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 14 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?)

The diploma holders will practice based on the chosen specialisation, either on the individual customer market or on the professional or corporate market.

The diploma holders will work within a business from the banking sector, as defined by the Monetary and Financial Code, title 1, section 5, especially those indicated by article L.511-1. Such businesses operate either at national level or as regional entities within a group.

The BTS Banking holders will mainly hold positions such as „customer advisor”, individual or professional or corporate banking, based on the chosen specialisation.

These technical and commercial positions are very much based on IT&C; the BTS holders have a direct and follow up relation with their customers.

Their activities shall be undertaken in a sales unit whose staff may vary. Performance of their tasks may involve functional and/or geographic mobility.

Irrespective of the company size, they represent the company in the operations they perform with customers.

They carry out their activities in organisations in the banking sector:

• Bank

• Mutual or cooperative bank

• deposit and consignment offices

• municipal loan offices

• finance company

• Post-office financial unit

This specialisation contributes graduates’ employability by providing the necessary competences to ensure adequate performance of professional tasks. The customer advisor holding the BTS Banking may advance during his/her career to management positions by internal promotion or by integration within a higher education cycle (professional Bachelor or other).

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Alain NICOLAS SCUFC Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Page 15 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?

Is BTS adapted to the new challenges of the “advisor” profession? Is it suitable for possible advancement to management positions?

For the banking environment, BTS Banking remains the entry level to the profession.

Developments in the “customer advisor” profession are reflected in other European countries by a demand of training higher than level 5 EQF