Work-based training (Action de Formation En Situation de Travail, or AFEST) is a pedagogical approach introduced by the French law of 5 September 2019 on the "Freedom to Choose One's Professional Future". It enables employees to be trained directly in their working environment, alternating between concrete practical situations and reflective phases. Progressively adopted by organisations, it is profoundly changing the role of the training manager and opening access to training for all profiles, including in structures that previously lacked the means to develop their teams.
What Is AFEST and Why Use It?
Definition and Legal Framework
AFEST is a method for transmitting skills in the workplace, overseen by an internal or external tutor who acts as a trainer for one or more employees.
It forms part of a broader evolution in the legal definition of professional training. A training programme is now defined as a learning pathway that enables the acquisition of new skills in order to achieve a professional objective. This pathway can be delivered remotely or directly in the workplace: it is this change in definition that allowed AFEST to acquire its full legitimacy. The government also emphasises the need for AFEST to coexist with other pedagogical formats: it integrates into a pathway that combines remote and face-to-face actions, and can form part of a qualification pathway.
The Benefits for All Stakeholders
AFEST offers concrete advantages for all the participants involved. For employees, it promotes a positive relationship with learning, helps them to name the skills they have acquired and prepares them to manage the unexpected situations that can arise in their work.
For organisations, AFEST strengthens the relationship between the manager, who generally takes on the role of trainer, and the employee. The employee is recognised for their ability to pass on their knowledge and know-how, thereby contributing to the collective progression of the team. For trainers, results are easier to measure: skills acquisition is smoother than in conventional training, and progress is directly visible in the real work context.
The Challenges of AFEST in Organisations
Training All Employees, Regardless of Organisational Size
One of AFEST's major advantages is its accessibility. According to recent data, 63% of employees in large organisations attended training in 2018, whilst only a quarter of employees in smaller structures were able to benefit from it. This imbalance is most often explained by time and budget constraints.
AFEST directly addresses these constraints: open to all employees, it is particularly well suited to small and medium-sized organisations. It makes it possible to combine training with the continuity of productive activity, without immobilising employees in sessions remote from their role. It is an approach that makes training accessible where it was previously too costly or too complex to organise.
Meeting Specific Needs and Legal Obligations
Some skills to be developed are highly specific to a particular role or production context. Generic training does not always succeed in covering them. By deploying directly in the field, AFEST trains employees in the precise skills they need for their actual responsibilities.
It also responds to organisations' legal obligations towards their teams. Recent reforms have strengthened these requirements: organisations must adapt the skills of their employees to changes in their roles, particularly in the context of digitalisation, and guarantee their employability for potential mobility. A well-constructed AFEST makes it possible to meet these obligations in a concrete and traceable way.
How Does AFEST Work in Practice?
Alternating Between Practical Situations and Reflective Phases
Unlike ad hoc on-the-job learning, AFEST is a structured and organised programme. It rests on the alternation between two types of sequences: practical situations, during which the employee acts and experiments directly in their working environment, and reflective phases, during which they step back from what they have just done, analyse their actions and identify gaps with what was expected.
This approach draws on a well-documented reality: 70% of professional learning takes place through daily practices and experiences, 20% through social interactions, and only 10% comes from formal training mechanisms. AFEST structures what was previously informal, directly exploiting the most powerful lever of learning.
The training is preceded by a positioning sequence, designed to identify the skills the employee has already acquired and those they still need to develop. It concludes with a final assessment that validates the acquisition of the targeted skills. A training logbook can be put in place to facilitate the monitoring of the entire pathway.
The Implementation Steps
Implementing AFEST begins with a feasibility assessment: verifying that the working environment is suitable, that AFEST is indeed the most relevant format, and that an available tutor can be designated.
The regulatory steps are precisely defined: analyse the work activity to adapt it to pedagogical purposes, designate a trainer who will fulfil the tutoring role, put in place reflective phases distinct from practical situations, and conduct the assessment of learning. Throughout the training, activity must be recorded, for example through the collection of videos or emails, in order to have evidence of the reality of the training programme.
Funding and Support: Available Resources
How to Fund AFEST
AFEST, as a learning format, does not benefit from dedicated funding in its own right. It can, however, be incorporated into existing funding frameworks: the skills development plan, the CPF (Personal Training Account) or a professionalisation contract. AFEST can thus be financed without generating significant additional costs for the organisation.
Which Training Provider to Choose
Implementing AFEST requires expertise in training engineering. Organisations can draw on specialist training providers who offer support services or award AFEST certifications. External consultants can also fulfil the trainer role according to needs.
Before choosing a provider, it is worth ensuring that they are fully versed in the programme and understand the specific context of the organisation. A training management platform can complement this support by centralising pathways, ensuring reliable traceability and making each employee's progress visible throughout the programme.
