What can a young person over the age of 16 who is out of school and without a diploma do?

Verified 07 February 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you are over 16 years of age and are out of school and without a diploma, you can decide to resume training or find a job. We present you with the possibilities that are open to you.

Training

If you do not have the National Patent Diploma (DNB) or a level 3 professional title, you can continue your education to obtain this diploma or title.

If your parents object to continuing your education, you can benefit from a educational assistance measure to guarantee your right to education.

You can also choose to include a second chance school or a establishment for integration into employment (Epidemic).

Please note

if you are between 16 and 18 years of age and you resume vocational studies after having left your training, you can benefit from a supplement of high school scholarship.

You can go back to school outside of a school. Indeed, you can to train remotely or pass a diploma in open application.

Please note

under certain conditions, you can to take a public service competition.

You can train for a trade by learning or by signing a professionalisation contract.

Employment

Depending on your age, you can carry out different missions of voluntary work.

You can pass the Bafa certificate to work in animation.

You can also go abroad as au pair to babysit and learn a foreign language.

If you want to work, you can subscribe to France Travail.

You can consult the available job offers online:

Browse Jobs at France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)

You can sign up for a local mission to help you find a job.

The local mission offers the following services:

  • Identify, welcome, inform, guide and support the young person by developing a personalized path to employment
  • Mobilizing the integration offer available in a territory with local partners
  • Supporting young people in their search for employment, career guidance, access to training, health, housing, rights, citizenship and mobility
  • Preparing the young candidate for a job offer, job retention assistance (material support, mediation young-employer)
Who shall I contact

Some arrangements allow you to conclude a contract of support towards employment, with different interlocutors. This is the case with the youth employment contract (YEC), of single insertion contract (CUI) or inclusion by economic activity (IAE).

FYI  

you must enroll in France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) to conclude an insertion contract.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • Come back and train

    For any young person aged 16 to 25 without a diploma or professional qualification who wishes to resume training

    By telephone

    0800 12 25 00 free call and service from landline or mobile phone

    • From Monday to Friday from 10am to 8pm in mainland France
    • From 8am to 3pm in Guadeloupe and Martinique
    • From 9am to 4pm in Guyana
    • From 12pm to 10pm in Reunion
    • From 11am to 9pm in Mayotte.
  • France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)
  • Local Mission
  • Youth Information