In September 2017, in a report commissioned by the Prime Minister, economist Jean Pisani-Ferry considered that France was suffering from a number of structural weaknesses, including a lack of skills among its working population. He felt that this was preventing us from meeting the major economic challenges of the future, particularly the digital and ecological transitions. In his view, the country needed to make its economy more competitive in order to ensure future growth. He recommended a Grand Plan d'Investissement (Major Investment Plan - GPI) and proposed that one of its four priorities, the Plan d’investissement dans les compétences (Skills Investment Plan - PIC), with a budget of nearly €15bn, should be used to "build a skills-based society" based on the concept of human capital. According to this principle, training is a continuum to be enriched throughout life. The aim of the plan was to initiate a long-term reform designed to link and even integrate training and employment policies. From a more short-term point of view, it was also intended to provide individualised support for two million young people and long-term jobseekers with few or no qualifications, through training leading to certifications and qualifications. The evaluation was conducted to examine whether the Skills Investment Plan (2018 - 2023) has transformed the training system and whether its target audiences have been reached.
