Professional training
INSEP offers a range of on-site professional courses for careers in sport. These courses enable elite athletes to gain the skills needed for their integration into the professional sports sector at various levels. INSEP prepares athletes for qualifications:
- from the professional sports branch: CQP professional sports and leisure coordinator certificate, with sports and team games (JSJO) and/or gymnastics expression and training (AGEE) options
- from the French Ministry of Sport: BPJEPS professional certificate in youth, public education and sport - physical activity for all (APT) and/or fitness (AF)
- from INSEP: CPME preparatory certificate for coaching professions
Within this framework, INSEP also has plans in place over the medium term to develop a “pre-qualification” programme to help elite athletes who have difficulties with written or oral language skills and to support them to gain IT skills. These “pre-qualification” training programmes are tailored specifically to the needs of the athletes identified in terms of both their duration and their training content.
Retraining and career change
Preparations for the end of a career start far upstream, at least one year before the planned end date, when possible. For people whose careers end more abruptly or who have already stopped without being able to successfully integrate into working life or to take on board the various psychological and physical transformations involved with this break from their world, work will be carried out over the timeframe requested, depending on each individual’s needs. The Elite Athlete Training and Support unit works closely with INSEP’s Psychology unit to offer the opportunity for an end-of-career psychological assessment for each athlete who requests this. All career management and career change or retraining support interviews are fully confidential. However, if requested by elite athletes, operations are planned with representatives from the worlds of sport or business and networking opportunities are organised to help them succeed with their next steps. To open up new career paths, each year INSEP organises the “SporTalents Crossroads” event, which brings together around 40 businesses and 20 schools to talk with the athletes and present their activities, career opportunities, professions and training programmes.
As part of their employment, retraining or career change support measures, current or former elite athletes are given an interview to help them with their professional integration steps. They are able to benefit from different levels of support, from simple advice on techniques for finding work to skills assessments and transition support (coaching, mentoring, self-confidence exercises, etc.). When partnerships can take the lead in different regions, the career support and retraining unit calls on their expertise. Athletes are offered work placements, internships or job opportunities when this can help them with their career development plans.