Business development needs to be accelerated, communications to be relaunched, an event to be organized, a new offering to be created… The start of the school year sometimes brings to light needs that were not anticipated a few months earlier. And contrary to a common belief, there is still time to recruit an apprentice: ESCAET students, in the Bachelor and MBA Tourism programs, are many who are still looking for the company that will guide them as they grow their skills. A topic all the more important as the sector questions how to prepare its next generation.
“Everything Happens Before Summer”: Really?
Every year, apprenticeship campaigns begin in the spring and a large portion of new hires are completed before the summer. Yet, at the start of the new academic year, not all meetings have taken place yet.
A need may have emerged later than expected. A recruitment may not have come to fruition. A job offer might fall through at the last moment. And some motivated students who are admitted later may start their courses without yet having found the company where they will grow. Autumn thus remains an active period, where candidates and recruiters can still meet.
A need may have emerged later than expected. A recruitment may not have come to fruition. A job offer might fall through at the last moment. And some motivated students who are admitted later may start their courses without yet having found the company where they will grow. Autumn thus remains an active period, where candidates and recruiters can still meet.
Too late? No: three months to sign and aid up to 31 December 2026
Under certain conditions, an apprentice can start their training at a CFA such as ESCAET without an employer, for up to three months, before signing an apprenticeship contract. For a start in October, the window therefore runs until early January. A company that opens a position in October or November is still within the deadline, and reaches the moment when candidates are actively seeking.
On the funding side, the decree of 6 March 2026 renewed the exceptional hiring aid for apprentices for contracts that begin before 1 January 2027. For a diploma at Bac+3 to Bac+5 level, it amounts to 2,000 euros in the first year for companies with fewer than 250 employees (750 euros beyond that, subject to conditions). A contract that begins in December benefits from it; the same contract beginning in January does not.
On the funding side, the decree of 6 March 2026 renewed the exceptional hiring aid for apprentices for contracts that begin before 1 January 2027. For a diploma at Bac+3 to Bac+5 level, it amounts to 2,000 euros in the first year for companies with fewer than 250 employees (750 euros beyond that, subject to conditions). A contract that begins in December benefits from it; the same contract beginning in January does not.
Welcoming an apprentice means training a future professional
Apprenticeship should not be viewed as simply replacing a paid position with a student who becomes autonomous immediately. The logic is different: to integrate a young professional still in training, to impart a profession to them and to enable them to progressively build their skills.
This requires genuine on-site mentoring, tasks aligned with their level, and responsibilities that evolve as their apprenticeship progresses.
It is also what makes apprenticeship valuable for the company: for several months, it transmits its methods, its tools, its culture, and its knowledge of the sector to a student who, in parallel, continues to acquire new skills at school. The apprentice gradually gains autonomy, and the company actively contributes to training the tourism professionals of tomorrow.
This requires genuine on-site mentoring, tasks aligned with their level, and responsibilities that evolve as their apprenticeship progresses.
It is also what makes apprenticeship valuable for the company: for several months, it transmits its methods, its tools, its culture, and its knowledge of the sector to a student who, in parallel, continues to acquire new skills at school. The apprentice gradually gains autonomy, and the company actively contributes to training the tourism professionals of tomorrow.
Profiles trained for the realities of tourism
At ESCAET, apprenticeship students follow six training days per month, from November to April, and devote the rest of their time to their host company. From May to September, their presence in the company is nearly full-time. Across the year, they spend about 75% of their time in the company.
On the training side, the pedagogy relies notably on concrete projects, real-world company cases, and deep knowledge of the tourism ecosystem, to enable students to put their learning into practice quickly.
Two levels of apprentices can be recruited:
• The Travel Specialization Bachelor (Level 6) prepares students for operational roles in tourism and events: communications, marketing, sales, production, or project management.
• The MBA in International Travel Management (Level 7) develops skills more oriented toward strategy, leadership, and management: offer development, marketing, CRM, revenue management, project management, and events.
Another advantage: thanks to SAMII, its hybrid classroom, ESCAET enables its apprentices to attend live courses remotely. Only the start of the academic year, exams, and defenses take place in person in Aix-en-Provence. The host company can thus be located anywhere in France.
On the training side, the pedagogy relies notably on concrete projects, real-world company cases, and deep knowledge of the tourism ecosystem, to enable students to put their learning into practice quickly.
Two levels of apprentices can be recruited:
• The Travel Specialization Bachelor (Level 6) prepares students for operational roles in tourism and events: communications, marketing, sales, production, or project management.
• The MBA in International Travel Management (Level 7) develops skills more oriented toward strategy, leadership, and management: offer development, marketing, CRM, revenue management, project management, and events.
Another advantage: thanks to SAMII, its hybrid classroom, ESCAET enables its apprentices to attend live courses remotely. Only the start of the academic year, exams, and defenses take place in person in Aix-en-Provence. The host company can thus be located anywhere in France.
