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Central to each of our fashion courses, a cooperative education gives students the opportunity to spend part of their course in a company, giving them an insight into the world of fashion while at the same time financing their studies.
Cooperative Education: The winning choice!
Study while boosting your CV
This immersive experience enhances our students’ professional and soft skills, while developing their individuality, allowing them to become operational very quickly. Our extensive experience with cooperative education fosters privileged relationships with companies in the fashion and luxury industry. IFA Paris’ agile pedagogy follows the evolution and demands of companies in the sector, who value this approach and readily recruit our students.
Why choose cooperative education?
Numerous reasons lead students to choose cooperative education each year:
- Immediate application of learning in the field: Practical experience while studying.
- Tuition fee coverage: Financial support for education.
- Guaranteed income: A steady salary throughout the program
- Acquisition of significant professional experience: One or more years of valuable work experience, boosting your resume
- Solid understanding of the fashion industry: In-depth knowledge of the fashion business world
- Potential recruitment by the host company: Opportunity for full-time employment after graduation
- Maximized chances of finding a job: Increased employability upon completion of studies
In our commitment to supporting you throughout your professional journey, particularly during your initial steps into the workforce, companies have proven to be indispensable partners.
Three Types of Work-Study Programs:
Apprenticeship Contract (Contrat d’apprentissage):
A formal agreement between an apprentice and an employer, providing comprehensive professional training, both in the workplace and at an apprentice training center.
Benefits:
- Employers receive financial incentives for hiring apprentices, including total or partial exemption from social security contributions, recruitment grants and a tax deduction for the apprenticeship tax.
- Apprentices earn a salary. The 35-hour workweek used as basis of calculation is split between the company and the training center. The remuneration is set as a percentage of the minimum wage (SMIC) and varies depending on the apprentice’s age and the year of the contract
Professionalization Contract (Le contrat de professionnalisation):
Nowadays, employers are increasingly turning to professionalization contracts. This type of contract allows individuals to acquire a real professional qualification, while simultaneously following a training program. It therefore promotes the professional integration of young people or job seekers into the workforce.
Alternating Internship Agreement (La convention de stage alterné):/b]
The internship agreement is still under-promoted. Yet, cooperative education programs are not limited to professionalization contracts. Today, anything that helps young people enter the professional world and facilitate their entry into the job market is welcome…and recruiters certainly won’t complain!
This solution can be attractive to students who appreciate the back-and-forth between theory and practice but are wary of the rigidity of a professionalization contract.
The alternating internship agreement uses the legislation governing internship agreements. It is more flexible than a professionalization contract, as it only involves the student, the company, and the school (no involvement of external organizations).
The agreement is signed by three parties: the student, the company, and the school. They thus agree on the terms of the trainee’s training, their mission, their remuneration, and the coverage of training costs if the company agrees to it.
It is signed for a maximum of 6 months, allowing students to gain multiple professional experiences and refine their career plans. Indeed, it is accepted that several agreements can be concluded successively with different companies. In addition, the student is free to change companies at any time.
Hear from our students
“The school helped me a lot in my job search for my alternating work-study program. I realized that I didn’t want to stay in my comfort zone and that I wanted to discover a new work environment.”
Marine Sadikhossen – Assistant Booker at NEXT MANAGEMENT
“My tasks are varied; I work on everything from styling to toile development, pattern making, using pattern-making software, assembling toiles, draping, sketching, and technical drawing. This gives me a lot of experience both professionally and personally.”
Matisse Perrault – Pattern Maker at Erik Kdesign
“Through my IFA Paris work-study program, I’m learning to follow up on samples and make technical adjustments, to modify and inspect before production launch, to manage suppliers, and to track the production schedule, as well as handle production issues and technical questions. What I appreciate most is the attention to detail involved in quality control, ensuring that the final product matches the sketch and meets customer expectations..”
Carla Caparas – Assistant Product Technician at FREEMAN T. PORTER
“As a fashion press assistant for both men’s and women’s collections at Hermès, I currently clip articles from magazines and newspapers where the House is mentioned and then record them in the media estimation software. I handle sample requests and send looks to editorial teams. I ensure the smooth running of the showroom and help prepare the seating plans and invitations for various events”
Léa Saiz – Fashion Press Assistant at HERMÈS
