In September 2026, 18% of French companies reported using at least one artificial intelligence technology. At the same time, only 21% of employees had received training in AI in a professional context. This gap between technological adoption and the upskilling of teams raises a measurable question: which professional training programs produce a real transfer of skills, and which ones are limited to a superficial educational veneer?
Professional Training and AI: Gap Between Adoption and Real Skills
The government plan “Impulsion IA,” presented on September 22, 2026, structures this issue around 12 measures aimed at employees, job seekers, and apprentices. Among them is a free evaluation and learning platform, as well as a national certification for AI skills.
| Indicator | Data |
|---|---|
| French companies using AI | 18% |
| Employees trained in AI in a professional context | 21% |
| Measures of the “Impulsion IA” plan | 12 |
| Priority target audience | SMEs, job seekers, apprentices |
This table highlights an imbalance: companies are integrating AI into their processes, but employee training is not keeping pace with deployment. SMEs, less equipped than large groups to organize internal pathways, are particularly exposed to this gap.
Training programs that focus solely on prompting or individual productivity miss out on structural issues. Compliance with regulations governing AI, management of personal data in automated recruitment, algorithmic accountability: these are all topics that innovative pathways must cover to remain relevant. Several organizations are already structuring their catalogs around these axes, as can be seen on Kömal’s training page, which brings together programs focused on operational skills.
National Certification in AI: What the System Changes for Training Pathways
The “Impulsion IA” plan is not limited to offering educational content. It introduces a national certification for artificial intelligence skills, which changes the logic of evaluating training programs.
Until now, upskilling in AI largely relied on private certifications, often tied to a software publisher. The national certification creates a common reference point, measurable by employers and usable in a CPF pathway.
Evaluation of AI Maturity at France Travail
France Travail must implement an evaluation of “AI maturity” for each job seeker, followed by a pathway tailored to their level and professional project. This personalization goes beyond simply enrolling in an online module.
- The initial diagnosis measures the actual level of mastery of AI tools, not just declared familiarity
- The training pathway is calibrated according to the targeted profession, with specific operational objectives
- The final certification allows the acquired skill to be valued by a recruiter, regardless of the chosen training organization
This system distinguishes training that produces verifiable skills from those that merely provide general awareness.
Transversal Skills and Human Resource Management in the Face of AI
Innovative training does not reduce to technical skills. Human resource management is directly impacted by AI, particularly regarding automated candidate screening, predictive turnover analysis, or workforce planning.
An HR manager trained only in the operation of an automated recruitment software, without understanding algorithmic biases or associated legal obligations, poses a risk to the company. Professional development pathways that integrate these legal and ethical dimensions address a need that purely technical training does not cover.
Creativity and Innovation: Beyond the Buzzword
Creativity applied to work cannot be decreed in a two-hour workshop. Training programs that produce measurable results in corporate innovation share common characteristics:
- They confront employees with real problems in their sector, not generic fictional cases
- They incorporate phases of prototyping or testing, with structured feedback
- They measure the post-training impact on ongoing projects, not just immediate satisfaction
Companies that invest in this type of pathway notice a difference in their teams’ ability to identify improvement opportunities. In contrast, short formats without post-training follow-up rarely produce lasting changes in work practices.
Hybrid Training and Upskilling: What Usage Says
The hybrid format (alternating between in-person sessions and online modules) has become widespread in professional training offerings. Its added value depends on how the two modalities are articulated.
A pathway that offers a video module followed by a quiz, then a day in the classroom with no direct link to the online content, does not exploit the potential of the format. Effective hybrid pathways synchronize learning: the distance part prepares a practical exercise conducted in person, and the online return allows for consolidating knowledge with individualized feedback.
The “Impulsion IA” plan emphasizes the accessibility of training for small structures. The announced free platform could become an entry point for employees of SMEs who do not have access to an internal catalog. The condition for success remains the same: that the proposed content leads to a verifiable skill, not just exposure to concepts.
The gap between the 18% of companies using AI and the 21% of trained employees serves as the reference data to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures launched in 2026. The coming months will allow us to measure whether the national certification and the personalized pathways from France Travail reduce this gap, or if professional training continues to lag behind technological adoption.
