The skills assessment is a system governed by the Labor Code that allows individuals to analyze their professional and personal aptitudes, motivations, and career objectives. The process takes place over several weeks, in three distinct phases, and results in a summary document that serves as a basis for building or adjusting a professional project.
What the investigation phase reveals about your transferable skills
The skills assessment is conducted in three phases (preliminary, investigation, conclusion). The investigation phase is the one that produces the usable material for the rest of the process.
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This step involves in-depth interviews, professional interest tests, and sometimes situational assessments. The consultant cross-references your background with job reference frameworks to identify transferable skills that you may not spontaneously associate with your profile.
A project manager in the industry, for example, often discovers that their budgeting and multi-site coordination skills correspond to roles in consulting or wealth management. Without this structured analysis, these pathways remain invisible. Feedback from experiences shared by the ANDRH confirms that employees who have completed an assessment are more likely to apply for cross-functional positions they had not previously considered.
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Accompanying this process with a specialized organization like Le Bilan allows for a rigorous methodological framework and personalized support throughout the investigation.
Funding for the skills assessment: CPF, contributions, and out-of-pocket expenses
Funding is the primary practical barrier. The skills assessment is eligible for the Personal Training Account (CPF), making it accessible without upfront costs for a large portion of the workforce. Since the introduction of the flat-rate contribution on the CPF, there is an out-of-pocket expense for the beneficiary.
Some regions still agree to co-finance this residual part, particularly for individuals transitioning after an economic layoff. These contributions are visible directly on MonCompteFormation, according to the documentation from the Caisse des Dépôts updated in 2025.
Employees also have another option: to integrate the assessment into their company’s skills development plan. In this case, the employer covers the entire cost. For job seekers, France Travail can also finance the process under certain conditions.
- CPF: direct mobilization of your acquired rights, with a flat-rate contribution to be expected
- Regional contribution: possible after economic layoff, variable by region
- Skills development plan: covered by the employer if the assessment is validated internally
- France Travail: funding for job seekers as part of a return-to-work project
Skills assessment and certified training: the path that maximizes return to employment
Conducting a skills assessment without concrete follow-up significantly reduces its usefulness. Data from France Travail published in 2024 shows that beneficiaries who follow up with certified training within six to twelve months have a significantly higher rate of sustainable return to employment than those who stop at the assessment alone.
The assessment establishes the diagnosis. Training addresses the gaps identified between your current profile and the targeted profession. Separating the two is like taking stock without engaging in the necessary work.
The conclusion phase of the assessment produces a detailed action plan. This document lists recommended training, relevant certifications, and a realistic timeline. The consultant can also direct individuals towards programs like the professional transition project (PTP), which allows for paid training leave.
Specialized assessments by sector: a trend that changes the game
The general skills assessment does not suit all profiles. In recent years, specialized assessments have emerged for targeted audiences: tech employees, caregivers, executives considering a transition to environmentally impactful jobs.
The advantage of a sector-specific assessment lies in the in-depth knowledge of the target job market. A consultant specialized in healthcare professions, for example, knows the pathways between nursing assistant, coordinating nurse, and health manager. They understand which certifications are recognized by hiring institutions and which training paths are genuinely qualifying.
For a developer considering a shift to product management or software architecture, a tech-oriented assessment will identify the technical skills already acquired and those that need to be completed, taking into account the realities of the digital job market.
- Health-oriented assessments: pathways between healthcare professions, specific regulatory framework
- Tech-oriented assessments: evaluation of technical skills and leadership soft skills
- Ecological transition-oriented assessments: identification of promising sectors and eligible training
Internal mobility in the company: the assessment as an underestimated lever
The skills assessment is not reserved for individuals in a break with their employment. It also serves to prepare for a progression within the same company. Field feedback reported by the ANDRH indicates that employees who have completed an assessment as part of a skills development plan are more likely to apply for internal mobility, including for roles they would not have considered on their own.
For the company, funding an employee’s assessment retains an experienced profile while reducing the cost of external recruitment. The employee, for their part, has a well-argued professional project to negotiate a position change or a departmental shift.
The skills assessment produces its best results when integrated into a broader strategy, whether it involves a career change, upskilling, or internal mobility. The choice of the organization and the sector expertise of the consultant directly influence the precision of the resulting action plan.