Abstract
Essentially introduced by the Astier Law of 1919, the French vocational education system has been developing in its own unique way in its nearly 100-year-long history. An important point came with the establishment of the continuous lifelong vocational education system, achieved through an agreement among government, labor and management in the 1970s. Also, two higher education reforms in 1968 and 1974 promoted vocational or technical curricula in the institutions of higher education, the main actors in continuous vocational education. At present, alternating training is in great vogue, combining teaching of theory in classrooms with the practical training in workplaces, and improving the employability of young people. In this presentation, I will explain the unique characteristics of French vocational education, based on its history and current state. Then, in making comparisons with Japanese vocational education, I will discuss implications for the future.
