Generation France

What Generation France does

Generation France is a nonprofit association (Association loi 1901, legal name 'Generation Plus : Ton Emploi') founded in 2018 and headquartered in Paris, France. It is the French affiliate of the global Generation network (Generation: You Employed, Inc.), providing free, intensive vocational training programs to job seekers distant from the labor market — including retail sales (Vendeur en Magasin), digital customer care (Relation Client 2.0), healthcare support (Métiers du Soin), cycling repair, and ecological transition trades (heat pump installation). The operating model is a hybrid: the supply side is delivered at no cost to learners via programs co-designed with employer partners, with each learner assigned a dedicated mentor for the duration of training and up to six months afterward; the demand side is sourced through direct website applications, referrals from France Travail (the French public employment service), and community organizations, while employer partners access pre-screened candidates through structured 'job dating' events at program completion.

The technology stack is intentionally lean: a learner portal (Learner Portal at learnerportal.generation.org) for training delivery, tracking, and alumni management, supplemented by Auth0 for identity, professional tools such as Zendesk and Intercom as training content, and third-party technology partners (OpenClassroom, La Solive, Lime). Generation France issues Qualiopi certification (valid through May 2027), the French national quality standard for training organizations, and leverages the global Generation methodology and data infrastructure of the parent organization spanning 17 countries and 57 million data points.

The business model is a nonprofit funding model rather than a commercial revenue model. Generation France is financed through multi-year strategic partnerships with foundations and corporations (notably Fondation Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale 2025-2027, Caritas France, EDF Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, Parquest Fund, Fondation EPIC), European Social Fund contributions, allocations from France Travail, and the French apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage) routed through the Soltéa platform. Individual donations were formalized as a channel in 2025. Programs are entirely free to participants; the unit economics center on cost-per-learner recovered through grants and employer-contributed value rather than participant fees. The operating footprint spans 8 French cities, with 56 employees, 700+ volunteers since 2019, 800 employer partners, and 3,500+ beneficiaries cumulatively, with a public target of 5,000 by 2028.

Name

Generation France

Legal name

Generation Plus : Ton Emploi

Website

https://france.generation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Generation France is a Paris-based nonprofit association (founded 2018) that delivers free, intensive vocational training and job placement to job seekers distant from the labor market, operating across 8 French cities with 800 employer partners and major foundation backing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training and Workforce Development

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE)

Keywords

• Vocational training programs
• Workforce development
• Job placement services
• Employability training
• Professional integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Philanthropy: Generation France is primarily funded through financial partnerships with foundations and corporations. Partners include Fondation Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale (3-year strategic partnership 2025-2027), Fonds Parquest, Fondation EDF, and Fondation Caritas France. Funding covers operational costs, program delivery, and scaling ambitions (target of 5,000 beneficiaries by 2028).
2. Public Funding (Taxe d'apprentissage): French companies can allocate their 'taxe d'apprentissage' (apprenticeship tax) to Generation France via the Soltéa platform, providing an additional funding stream from corporate tax obligations.
3. Donations: Individual donors can make financial contributions to support the association's mission. First formal donation campaign launched in 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Generation France delivers free, intensive (3–8 week) vocational training programs covering in-demand sectors such as retail sales, digital customer care, bicycle repair, healthcare support, digital business development, and heat pump installation. Each program combines 80%+ practical training with behavioral/soft skills development, is bundled with one-on-one mentoring for up to 6 months post-program, and culminates in structured job dating events with employer partners enabling immediate employment pathways.

Product overview

Generation France operates as a unified vocational training and employment integration platform offering multiple intensive training programs (formation) across sectors including retail sales, digital customer care, healthcare, cycling, and ecological transition. All programs are free for learners, include 80%+ practical training content, and are bundled with personalized mentoring and guaranteed job interviews via job dating with employer partners. The portfolio includes: Vente en Magasin, Customer Care, Digital Business Developer, Métiers du Soin, Réparation & Vente de Vélos, JobBoost, plus mentoring and recruitment services. Programs target job seekers distant from employment and are funded through institutional partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formation Vente en Magasin (Excellence en Point de Vente) A 3-week intensive (105-hour) retail sales training program covering the complete sales process, customer relationship management, cash handling, and employability skills. Includes a guaranteed job interview with employer partners via job dating. Designed for job seekers distant from employment seeking entry into retail sales roles.
• Formation Customer Care – Relation Client 2.0 Digital customer success training program focusing on customer relationship management, communication skills, and professional tools (Zendesk, Intercom). Includes personalized mentoring during and after training. Designed for job seekers targeting digital customer care / customer success roles.
• Formation Réparation, Maintenance & Vente de Vélos Technical training program for bicycle repair, maintenance, and sales, preparing learners for employment in the cycling retail and eco-mobility sectors. Designed for job seekers interested in the ecological transition and cycling industry.
• Formation Métiers du Soin à la Personne Care sector training program preparing learners for healthcare and personal care assistant positions in high-demand sectors. Designed for job seekers targeting the caregiving and personal assistance professions.
• Formation Relation Client Digital Digital customer relations training covering online communication, CRM tools, and digital customer support skills. Designed for job seekers targeting digital customer relations roles.
• Formation Business Development / Commercial Sales and business development training program focused on commercial skills and business relationship development. Designed for job seekers targeting business development and sales representative roles.
• Formation Installation de Pompes à Chaleur Heat pump installation technical training program addressing skills gaps in the ecological transition sector. Designed for job seekers interested in the green energy and heating installation trades.
• Programme JobBoost Accelerated training program targeting youth distant from employment, covering digital customer relations, healthcare, and commercial skills, with personalized mentoring through and after training. Funded initially by Fonds Parquest's philanthropic fund.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87–90% of graduates are employed within 6 months
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OrnikarminorOthers · 1 January 2025Partnership related to driving license as a lever for employability, helping beneficiaries obtain driver's licenses to improve job access.
• Generation: You Employed, Inc. (GYE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe global parent organization (based in Washington, D.C.) provides the platform technology, program methodology, data infrastructure, brand, and international network spanning 17 countries. Generation France operates as Generation Plus: Ton Emploi under license and in coordination with GYE.
• EpsorminorOthersInsurTech company that has hired multiple Generation alumni (Saïdou Diop, Merwan) for Customer Care positions via job dating. Provides ongoing feedback to improve program relevance and has participated in multiple recruitment cohorts.
• CofidisminorOthersFinancial services company that participated in mock interviews and job datings with Generation learners. Hired alumni like Yanis as Customer Care representatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Webforce3: French digital training network providing free web-development bootcamps to job seekers, with employer partnerships for placement. Targets an overlapping learner population and employer base as Generation France's digital programs.
• Per Scholas: US nonprofit providing free, intensive technology training to adults from underserved communities with strong employer hiring relationships. Direct international peer to Generation France's Customer Care / Digital Business Developer programs, sharing the tuition-free, employer-driven model.
• Simplon.co: French nonprofit providing free, intensive bootcamp-style training in web development and digital skills to people distant from employment, with strong employer partnerships. Closest French analogue to Generation France's mission, model, and beneficiary population.
• Apprentis d'Auteuil: Large French foundation supporting vulnerable youth and families, including through vocational training and employment integration programs. Shares Generation France's social-mission focus on disadvantaged youth and uses employer partnerships for placement.
• École 42: French tuition-free computer science school founded by Xavier Niel using a peer-to-peer, project-based pedagogy to train job seekers from diverse backgrounds for tech roles. Comparable to Generation France in its free, intensive bootcamp approach and in serving learners without diploma prerequisites.
• Year Up: US-based nonprofit offering free intensive training in IT and business to young adults from low-income backgrounds, combined with corporate internships and employer partnerships. Closest international peer to Generation France's integrated training-plus-placement model.
• EPIDE: French government-operated residential program under the Ministry of Armed Forces providing insertion support for 18-25 year-olds far from employment. Targets the same youth population as Generation France's JobBoost program, with similar employment-readiness and training missions but a residential delivery model.
• NPower: US/Canada nonprofit offering free IT and cybersecurity training to underserved youth, veterans, and adults with employer-driven placement. International peer with a tuition-free, employer-pipeline-driven model closely resembling Generation France's digital tracks.

Broad incumbents

• AFPA: France's national agency for adult vocational training, providing subsidized training in skilled trades across more than 100 centers. Overlaps with Generation France's vocational training mission but operates at much larger scale as a public-sector incumbent with broader program scope.
• France Travail (Pôle Emploi): French public employment service that co-funds Generation France programs and refers job seekers, but also provides its own training and placement services at national scale. Acts both as a funder/partner and as a broader incumbent in the same employment-integration space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/generation-france

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Generation France