France’s National Assembly is expected to debate, from Tuesday 27 October 2026 according to the provisional calendar, the spending half of the 2027 budget, which carries a CPF reform 2027: workers would pay up to EUR 350, instead of EUR 150, to use their personal training account (compte personnel de formation, CPF) on courses unrelated to shortage jobs or priority sectors. Trainers, HR teams and career advisers will feel it first.
Key facts
- Article 89 of the 2027 finance bill, tabled on 1 October 2026, raises the flat co-payment for training judged non-priority; the amount is left to a decree, and the Ministry of Labour has announced EUR 350.
- The co-payment rose from about EUR 100 to EUR 150 on 2 April 2026. Jobseekers are exempt.
- If adopted, the higher rate would apply to training booked from 1 October 2026, before any parliamentary vote.
- The government expects savings of EUR 350 million in 2027; the CPF costs about EUR 2 billion a year.
What changes under the CPF reform 2027?
Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou wants to bring the account back to its original purpose, a professional project. Before buying a course, users would answer a questionnaire about its goal, career outcome and financing. People with a well-built project in a shortage occupation or a strategic sector keep the standard rate. Those whose project looks unclear would be offered a session with a career development adviser (conseil en évolution professionnelle, CEP). They could still go ahead, but at a higher price.
Sources do not fully agree on the details, so the table shows who said what.
| Situation | Proposed co-payment | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Registered jobseekers | None | LCP, NosParlementaires, Formation Professionnelle Mag |
| Shortage jobs and priority sectors (defence, industry, food sovereignty, ecological transition, digital, health and social care) | Base rate; zero for AI training, according to Farandou on LCI | NosParlementaires, LCP |
| VAE (validation of experience), skills assessments, career transition projects | Base rate or exempt, depending on the source | NosParlementaires, Formation Professionnelle Mag |
| Training “far” from any professional project | EUR 350, by decree | LCP, Public Sénat |
The savings estimate also varies. LCP, the parliamentary channel, and NosParlementaires cite EUR 350 million; Formation Professionnelle Mag gives a range of EUR 300 million to EUR 350 million.
Why is Paris cutting training money now?
Because the labour budget is the biggest target of 2027. According to Public Sénat, the work and employment mission faces a cut of EUR 2.5 billion, the largest of any mission, after spending peaked at EUR 21.4 billion in 2024. The ceiling for next year is EUR 18.7 billion. Apprenticeships, which receive more than EUR 8 billion, are expected to be spared, while the public employment service France Travail may lose staff.
Youth unemployment stood at 21.6%, up 2.5 points in a year, according to the same report.
What happened last time the price went up?
The evidence is not encouraging. A Senate report by Emmanuel Capus, published on 9 July 2026 and cited by NosParlementaires, found that after the first EUR 100 co-payment the number of people using their CPF fell by 15.8% the following year. The share of users with a baccalauréat or lower qualification dropped from 62% to 58%. Caisse des Dépôts data quoted by Formation Professionnelle Mag show about 1.2 million training files in 2025, against roughly 1.38 million in 2024.
Price signals work. They also filter out the least qualified.
A European pattern, with a French twist
France is not alone in pushing adult training towards labour-market needs. On Friday 23 October 2026, the employers’ federation BusinessEurope presented a Deloitte study in which 82% of surveyed companies said they rely on continuous staff training, with time and cost the main brakes for small firms.
The French starting point is weaker than its reputation. Eurostat figures reported by The Brussels Times show adult learning participation across the EU rising from 10.1% in 2015 to 13.7% in 2025, while France fell 3.1 points over the same decade, the largest decline in the Union.
What this means for trainers, HR and career advisers
Training providers should map their catalogue against shortage occupations and the six priority sectors now, and be ready to show the job outcome of each course once the decree and list of certifications are published.
HR departments can keep costs down for staff. Employer co-financing is one of the routes that protects the standard rate, so a small top-up may decide whether an employee enrols at all.
Career advisers should expect more referrals. If the questionnaire sends unclear projects to the CEP, demand for guidance will grow before the budget is final, and the condition linked to a declared professional project only takes effect in January 2028.
For wider context, see our coverage of the EU Skills Guarantee, the AI skills training gap in companies and automatic recognition of qualifications in Europe.
FAQ
Is the EUR 350 co-payment final?
No. Parliament must adopt the budget, and the exact amount will be set by decree. The overall vote is scheduled for 17 November 2026 under the provisional calendar.
Are jobseekers affected?
No. Jobseekers remain exempt from the co-payment under all versions reported so far.
Does it apply to courses already booked?
If adopted as drafted, it would cover training booked from 1 October 2026.
Sources:
