Qualiopi: preparing effectively for the quality audit renewal
It's time to renew Qualiopi! This certification for training organizations—which is mandatory in order to qualify for public funding—has been updated with a new version that places even greater emphasis on quality. The parties involved are preparing and strengthening their continuous improvement processes.
Operational excellence
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Three syllables that have become indispensable for tens of thousands of companies and independent consultants… Succeeding the Datadock self-declaration system, Qualiopi has been calling the shots in the professional training sector since 2019—a field distinct from initial training, which encompasses continuing education providers, apprentice training centers (CFA), and organizations and consultants specializing in skills assessments and the validation of prior learning (VAE).
An organization holding this certification thereby demonstrates the quality of the programs it offers and shows that it complies with some thirty indicators enshrined in the RNQ, the national quality framework developed by the government.
However, the latest version of the reading guide explaining this framework, the version known as V9 published in early 2024, further tightens the requirements.
“Public funds finance a large portion of vocational training,” notes Sandrine Carbonaro, an expert on the subject for the AFNOR group. To ensure that resources are properly allocated, lawmakers decided to introduce this recognition mark, which certifies a commitment to improvement. The new guide to the national quality framework aims to address certain shortcomings in the first version, released four years ago.
New Version of Qualiopi: The Issue of Outsourcing
Among the key areas being addressed: the use of subcontractors. Indeed, many training organizations rely on external companies to deliver their certified training programs under the CPF—the personalized training account—this “wallet” funded in euros (rather than hours) that workers build up over the course of their careers and can spend on continuing education. Qualiopi is now targeting these CPF subcontractors: to continue offering their services, all those with annual revenue exceeding 77,700 euros must comply with the standards and hold the same certifications and accreditations as their commissioning organization listed on the Mon Compte Formation portal. The stated goal: to weed out unscrupulous entities and demonstrate that these subcontractors are reliable, at least as much as their clients on the official platform. Clients, for their part, can thus ensure that they use subcontractors in a controlled and responsible manner.
Purple Campus is already addressing these new requirements. This organization brings together the training programs offered by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in the Occitanie region and trains more than 11,000 work-study students and 20,000 learners each year, drawing in part on external instructors. Not everyone has the resources to implement Qualiopi, explains Patrick Laborie, quality manager at Purple Campus. We help them get organized and provide guidance on how to meet these requirements. To remain compliant, Purple Campus is also adapting how it designs its training programs. Some requests from clients enrolling in training require advanced instructional design, continues Patrick Laborie. This is the case for those seeking corporate competency certificates, a process that requires tracking of previously acquired skills—in the spirit of providing evidence—which almost leads us toward individualized training. Qualiopi pushes us to conduct in-depth work to address this. The formalization of instructional materials also contributes to this objective and facilitates comparison between different organizations, promoting greater transparency.
New Version of Qualiopi: Essential Standardization
This is an aspect that has now been fully integrated by Afosar, the training department specifically for employees of the agricultural social mutuals (MSA). Following an initial certification in mid-2022, management will begin the process for the renewal audit in September 2023, which is scheduled to take place six months later. This is an opportunity to correct identified non-conformities, such as missing information on the course descriptions: minimum and maximum number of participants, training certification number, disability designation, etc., explains Corinne Prorobert, director of Asfosar. All these elements help us improve our skills and challenge our practices. We ‘think Qualiopi’ at every step, particularly through weekly methodology meetings with the entire team to monitor our indicators and ensure the measures taken are effective. And we stay vigilant, because everything changes very quickly!”
“Staying on the alert”: for a training organization, it is indeed essential to remain actively vigilant. The renewal audit is based on Version 9 of the Qualiopi standard, published in January 2024, whereas Version 8 dates back to December 2023—two versions released just thirty days apart! But when you’re in continuous improvement mode—as is the hallmark of the Qualiopi approach—this vigilance comes almost naturally: you have to keep your standards alive. And you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to meet the requirements, if only because the renewal audit must take place no later than four months before the end of the certification period. A stop at the training station, as here at AFNOR Competencies ... could also be considered.
New Version of Qualiopi: A Continuous Focus on Quality
As soon as the mid-cycle compliance audit takes place, the organization must get ready for action, adapt its practices, refine its processes, and so on. This is a long-term approach focused on continuous improvement—one that the custom woodwork brand KparK has fully embraced, having established its own training program for its technical advisors. “The very first Qualiopi audit conducted in 2021 highlighted the need to take people with disabilities into account,” recalls Charlotte Jousse, HR Development Manager at KparK. “Since then, we have ensured that our offerings are clear and accessible, so that individuals can enter the apprenticeship program and benefit from special accommodations. We plan and organize the onboarding of people with disabilities even before they arrive.”
But isn’t the Qualiopi certification process intimidating and off-putting, given its complexity and the number of criteria involved?
We are taking the time to step back and conduct a thorough review of our internal processes, administrative management, and compliance. This preliminary self-assessment will help us identify our strengths to build upon and areas for improvement ahead of the renewal audit. Ultimately, this will have a positive impact on our organization and our practices.
Charlotte JousseHR Development Manager
Qualiopi is also a matter of societal importance, concludes Sandrine Carbonaro of the AFNOR Group. Indeed, the goal is to ensure that both students and professionals develop their skills so that, ultimately, they can pass their exams, improve employment rates, and contribute to the country’s competitiveness. Qualiopi is also a matter of societal importance, concludes Sandrine Carbonaro of the AFNOR Group. Indeed, the goal is to ensure that both students and professionals develop their skills so that, ultimately, they can pass their exams, improve employment rates, and contribute to the country’s competitiveness.
