Individual pathways of prior learning accreditation in France

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze employees’ trajectories within the Accreditation of Prior Experience Learning process (APEL) in France. It seeks to understand how candidates implement this right, the resources and supports required to manage this implementation, and how employer‐employee relationships impact on the end result. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on a new national survey of more than 3,000 employed APEL candidates, most of whom are women working in the care sector. Findings - The paper argues that individual pathways within this process are influenced more by the socio‐economic issues at stake in a given sector, its certification policies, environmental incentives and employer‐employee joint investments than by individual characteristics. All these elements go to configure a “capability pathway”, comprising individual resources, rights, and environmental, social and individual conversion factors. Practical implications - A better understanding of employers’ role and the support they provide during the course of the overall process can help increase the efficiency of lifelong learning. Spaces of mediation at candidates’ disposal and real freedom at work, such as exercising one's right to voice and aspiring to development, are determinant. Originality/value - Not much is known about how corporate policies affect individual employee pathways within the framework of the Accreditation of Prior Experience Learning (APEL) process in France. The paper contributes to this literature by using a recent survey econometrically investigating the impact of joint employer‐employee investment.