Agile Occupational and Training Standards for Responsive Skills Policies

In France, occupational standards are centrally organised through the ROME system (Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois), which is a comprehensive repository of jobs, developed and regularly updated by the French Public Employment Service (France Travail, formerly Pôle Emploi). This system classifies jobs into broader categories and includes occupational standards that provide job definitions, skills required, working contexts, and pathways for professional mobility. The ROME framework is a crucial instrument to help match job offers with job seekers in the labour market (Pôle emploi, 2023[2]).

In March 2023, a new version of ROME (i.e. ROME 4.0) was introduced, representing a significant update of the system (Pôle emploi, 2023[2]). In fact, ROME 4.0 proposes a skills-based approach to address the evolving needs of the labour market, particularly in response to technological advancements and changing employment trends and aims to alleviate the high recruitment pressures that are observed in the French labour market. The new system includes revisions to the classification of occupations and recognises new emerging professions in order to remain relevant and responsive to the dynamic nature of the labour market. It also provides a structured and shared language for skills by developing a new nomenclature that facilitates access and understanding of the main competencies in demand on the market.

To enhance the clarity of job descriptions, the ROME 4.0 system incorporates nuanced classifications such as “principal” and “emerging” skills and knowledge (Pôle emploi, 2023[2]). A “principal” skill is deemed indispensable for a role, independent of the working environment. On the other hand, an “emerging” skill is one that surfaces in response to the ongoing shifts in ecological, digital, and demographic landscapes. Recognised by industry experts, these skills are flagged as increasingly important for certain jobs, even though they may not be fully established in current roles. This helps job seekers and training providers anticipate the training needed to develop skills that will be required in the future.

The new system is also aimed at helping recruiters streamline the hiring process. In fact, ROME 4.0 provides a precise definition of job roles and skill requirements, leading to a more efficient and targeted search for suitable candidates. Not only does the ability to better describe the position and the expected skills yield a more qualified pool of applicants but it also facilitates the adaptation and development of employees’ skills to meet the roles’ evolving demands. The breadth of the ROME system also allows for a wider, more inclusive applicant pool, welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds and work histories, thereby enhancing the potential for finding the right match for each job.

ROME 4.0 may serve as a useful resource also for job seekers, as it enables them to clearly articulate their skills and experiences, enhancing their confidence and efficacy in taking action towards their career goals. The system supports applicants in highlighting their competencies during interviews, opening new professional pathways, and framing their experiences as transferable skills that can pivot them into new career trajectories. Furthermore, the system guides individuals in identifying the most pertinent training, thereby carving out a clear pathway for skill development and career advancement.

Currently, ROME 4.0 contains 532 job descriptions along with a new nomenclature of skills organised into 6 areas of know-how and soft skills as well as work contexts and opportunities for professional mobility (Pôle emploi, 2023[2]). It includes 491 macro competencies and 6 000 associated specific skills. The macro competencies allow identifying related occupations through AI-supported semantic proximity analysis while the specific skills help contextualise the macro competencies. However, the current number of job descriptions is insufficient to describe all occupations comprehensively. The goal of the French PES is to expand these standards to up to 2 500, ensuring more precision and homogeneity, especially in terms of granularity, level of details, terminology, qualification levels, type of skills included, and better alignment with training offers. Hence, France Travail is planning to improve ROME 4.0 by producing more than 2 000 new job descriptions over the next years by drawing on the expertise and occupational standards of ROME partners, including education and training institutions and professional branches and unions (Pôle emploi, 2023[3]).

Contrary to occupational standards, the creation and update of training standards in France is not centrally organised and training providers are free to use a standard of their choice. Certification standards are, however, regulated and included in the official directory of professional certifications, known as Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP). The link between occupational and certification standards – i.e. between the ROME system and RNCP – has been historically weak, although the recent reform of the ROME system may allow for a better mapping between the two databases in the future.

The French PES plays the leading role in managing the development and update of the occupational standards. Yet, it collaborates closely with several stakeholders throughout the process. Employers and sectoral representatives provide real-time insights into job requirements and the skills needed within their industries. Operators of Competencies (OPCOs)1 contribute to the definition of occupational standards by providing information on jobs requirements that they collect via observatories of the member sectors (OPCO, 2023[4]). Different research institutions and various occupational analysts also contribute to the empirical analysis and definition of job roles and competencies. Furthermore, training and educational institutions, in particular those that play a structural role in certification such as the Association for Adult Vocational Training (AFPA), ensure that learning curricula align with content of the occupational standards. Finally, trade unions and professional associations represent the workers’ interests and contribute to the dialogue about skills and working conditions reflected in the standards. Other key actors include the Association for the Employment of Executives (APEC) for the definition of senior positions and the Directorate‑General of Public Finances (DGFiP) of the French Ministry of Economy for public sector jobs.

The creation of a new occupational standard begins with a thorough analysis of the labour market, which includes identifying emerging sectors, technological trends, and shifts in employment patterns. This is typically informed by labour market studies, employment statistics, and forecasts that highlight skills in demand, generally undertaken by OPCOs.

Once the background research has been conducted, partners work on the creation of new occupational standards and on the update of existing ones using an online platform set up by the French PES. This collaborative platform allows stakeholders to propose their own occupational standards and links them with ROME 4.0 and standardised competencies. With inputs from all relevant stakeholders through the collaborative platform, a preliminary occupational standard is developed by France Travail. This draft includes detailed job descriptions, skills and competencies needed, qualifications required, career progression paths, and related training and education opportunities.

The preliminary draft is then subject to a consultation process, where stakeholders are invited to provide feedback. This iterative process ensures that the draft accurately represents the occupation in the context of the French labour market. Once consensus is reached, the occupational standard is finalised and it receives a specific ROME code to facilitate its classification and retrieval within the system. While the content of occupational standards can be proposed by all actors involved and the process to create an occupational standard is collaborative, the decision on job titles is up to France Travail, that aims for homogeneous job titles in terms of skill requirements and qualification levels. The finalised standard is then published online making it accessible to employers, job seekers, and learning institutions.

To maintain their relevance, occupational standards undergo regular reviews and updates by the French PES. Changes in the labour market, such as the introduction of new technologies or methods, can prompt revisions to ensure that the standards remain a reliable resource. Updates can also be proposed by other stakeholders via the online platform.

The main stakeholder involved in the development of certification standards is France Compétences. Created in 2019, France Compétences is the single national authority for regulating and financing vocational education and training and apprenticeships. One of its tasks is to manage the Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP) – which is a comprehensive, official directory of professional certifications in France – and to ensure that certifications listed in the RNCP are relevant, high-quality, and aligned with the current and future needs of the labour market. Training providers are also key actors as they can directly propose their own certifications to be listed in the RNCP.

When training providers want to propose their own certifications, they need to apply for their certification to be listed in the RNCP justifying that this does indeed correspond to a new certification (i.e. that it does not overlap with an existing one). They must provide a certification standard, including a framework of tasks and activities, a skills framework, and an assessment profile. They must also provide the associated ROME code. With the previous versions of ROME, this was not obvious as one RNCP code could correspond to multiple ROME codes and vice versa. On the other hand, with ROME 4.0 the mapping between RNCP codes and ROME code will be easier as occupational codes now correspond to a single qualification.