Managing your apprenticeship and internship campaigns: a key process that must be planned in advance

In a market where competition to recruit young talent is stronger than ever, the success of your apprenticeship campaigns relies on rigorous organization and careful planning. Today, recruiting an apprentice or an intern requires as much effort as hiring for a permanent position, especially when the company is managing several dozen or even hundreds of applications at the same time.

Outsourcing the management of your apprenticeship campaigns allows you to gain in efficiency, ensure a better candidate experience, and free your HR teams from time-consuming tasks.

A favorable context, but increasingly demanding

According to the latest data published by DARES in February 2025, 878,900 apprenticeship contracts were started in 2024 in the private and public sectors, i.e. +3% compared to 2023.

On 31 December 2024, 1,042,500 apprenticeship contracts were ongoing, marking a new increase in the scheme (+3% in one year).

Apprenticeship has therefore firmly established itself as a major driver of employment and training in France. After several years of double-digit growth, the system is stabilising: the momentum remains positive but is moving towards a mature phase.

Furthermore, the data show that 15,700 apprentices with disabilities signed a contract in 2024 (+12% in one year), representing 2% of all new contracts. Their average age is 26 (compared with 21 for all apprentices) and 61% of them follow a training programme at upper-secondary level (bac) or below — figures that reflect a more inclusive opening of the scheme.

Finally, DARES points out that for contracts started in 2023, 22% were terminated within the first nine months, compared with 17% for those started in 2019. This highlights the need for enhanced follow-up and a well-structured learning experience to limit early terminations.

Increasingly complex campaign management

For several years now, apprenticeships have been booming and it is now just as difficult to recruit an apprentice or an intern as it is to recruit a permanent employee.
The multiplication of apprenticeship programmes in business and engineering schools, including the most prestigious, has intensified competition between companies to attract the best profiles.

Faced with this growing number of work-study students, managing an apprenticeship campaign can quickly become a real organisational challenge.

HR teams must juggle many stages:

• collecting needs,

• screening applications,

• coordinating with managers,

• organising interviews,

• administrative management,

• follow-up and onboarding of new hires.

All these tasks, taken together, represent a project in their own right and require constant mobilisation of internal resources.

Managing a recruitment campaign of more than 100 apprentices is a daily challenge, both in terms of workload and in maintaining the motivation of HR teams.

This is why more and more companies today are choosing to outsource all or part of their apprenticeship or internship campaigns, in order to refocus their teams on higher value-added missions and gain in operational efficiency.

Why outsource your apprenticeship campaigns?

Managing apprenticeship campaigns involves far more than simply posting job offers. Between collecting needs, pre-screening, coordinating with managers and tracking files, it is a complex process that is often underestimated.

The main benefits of outsourcing:

• Manage workload peaks without stress
  Benefit from a dedicated team to absorb the volume of applications during large-scale campaigns.

• Access an extensive network of schools and training centres
  Take advantage of your partner’s network and targeted retargeting solutions to maximise the visibility of your offers.

• Optimise internal collaboration
  Managers are involved in a clear, well-equipped project mode, which promotes speed and quality of decision-making.

• Improve the candidate experience
  Thanks to smooth application management and systematic feedback, you enhance your employer brand.

• Simplify administrative management
  Your provider handles procedures with the OPCOs and digitises contract tracking.

Outsourcing your apprenticeship campaigns means freeing your HR teams from operational management while ensuring a continuous flow of qualified candidates.

When should you launch your apprenticeship campaign? 

Apprenticeship campaigns must be completed by the end of August so that onboarding of the selected candidates can start in September. Based on this, we recommend that you begin thinking about your project from October of the previous year: almost a year in advance.

If your purchasing department is involved, this timing will be ideal. If only your HR department is the decision-maker, you can probably wait until January. But again, only you know how quickly you are able to make decisions. 

Whatever your internal organisation, it is essential not to underestimate the time needed to set up project mode. Depending on the size of your apprenticeship campaign and the number of managers to be involved, it will be necessary to define a working methodology and interaction rules between teams, to train stakeholders and to oversee the first months of implementation in order to make any adjustments needed for the success of the organisation. Consequently, an efficient launch in less than a month is not realistic.

Furthermore, remember that apprenticeships are booming and that all companies launch their campaigns at the same time. So the longer you wait, the less likely you are to recruit the best candidates!

In conclusion: 

• From October: scoping needs, budget validation and choice of provider.

• From January to May: sourcing, interviews and candidate selection.

• From June to August: administrative finalisation and onboarding.

How much does an apprenticeship campaign cost? 

The budget for an apprenticeship campaign varies according to the number of positions and the desired level of outsourcing.

The criteria to consider are:

• The number of positions to be filled and the length of the campaign,

• The number of stakeholders involved (HR, managers, external providers),

• The stages outsourced (sourcing, interviews, administration, communication),

• The tracking and reporting tools used,

• The performance indicators (KPIs) to be monitored: conversion rate, time to hire, candidate satisfaction, etc.

A specialised provider will offer you a tailor-made quote based on these parameters and your objectives.

How can you ensure the success of your apprenticeship campaigns?

1. Define a clear methodology

Structure your campaign around a clear schedule and collaborative tools shared between HR, managers and providers.

2. Involve the right stakeholders

Involve managers from the outset to ensure alignment between operational needs and the profiles sought.

3. Offer a high-quality candidate experience

The quality of follow-up and communication with candidates directly influences your company’s reputation.

4. Measure and adjust

Track your indicators (average time to hire, satisfaction rate, retention rate) to improve each new campaign.

Conclusion: turn your apprenticeship campaigns into a strategic lever

When well managed, an apprenticeship campaign becomes a powerful tool for developing your future talent. By entrusting all or part of your project to a specialised provider, you gain in performance, agility and attractiveness.

Start anticipating your needs for the next academic year now and build a sustainable apprenticeship strategy.