How Actual group wants to shake up higher education with the launch of "Actual académie"?

By launching Actual académie, Actual group, a major player in employment and skills in France, aims to connect its schools, its 600 agencies, and company needs to build a unique ecosystem in France that truly leads to employment.

In a training market hit by a sharp drop in public funding and accelerating technology, Samuel Tual, Chairman of Actual group, announces a major strategic evolution with the launch of Actual académie. To lead this transformation, he has appointed Thomas Legrain to head this ecosystem, which now brings together the group's 13 existing campuses (ESUP, Holberton, Supdemod, Pôle BTS alternance, etc.), including the new campus in Guadeloupe.

Employment as the starting point

Faced with a work-study model weakened by state disengagement, Actual group chooses no longer to view its schools as separate entities, but as an integrated system focused on one objective: the genuine employability of its students. “Training is only valuable if it genuinely opens up job prospects—this is a conviction I have always stood by. With Actual académie, we want to bring our schools even closer to the working world, relying on our 32,000 client companies as well as our knowledge of professions and local employment pools. Our ambition is to offer every young person the training that suits them and support them all the way into employment.” Samuel Tual, Chairman of Actual group

Breaking the single "school mold"

For Thomas Legrain, a different direction must be taken from public higher education, which imposes an elitist framework focused on academic excellence, as its educational offering excludes a large majority of young people. It puts the focus on weaknesses rather than talents, discouraging many young people and eroding their self-confidence. It is essential to adapt to young people and invent diverse educational approaches, instead of deciding what they should want. Actual académie is now organized around how each young person learns best. A tailor-made teaching approach: Built around the ESUP, Pôle BTS Alternance, Supdemod, and Holberton schools, the system offers three distinct pathways depending on the learner's profile: a structured framework for national diplomas (BTS), a more autonomous student life for Bachelors, or full project-based immersion for profiles seeking disruption. “Our role is to identify the teaching method that will allow every young person to progress, gain confidence, and find their place.” Thomas Legrain.

“Learning Factories”: turning students into value creators

Actual académie aims to transform physical campuses into “Learning Factories”. In this model, students no longer just attend classes; they become value creators for their local area from their very first day of training. Concrete examples: learners work on real-world challenges submitted by the group's partner SMEs. By solving a cybersecurity issue for a regional manufacturer or developing a sales strategy for a local small business, students learn through action and support the local economy.

AI as a performance lever for everyone: Actual académie intends to roll out schools fully augmented by AI. The objective is not just to train technical experts, but to enable every future sales representative, recruiter, or manager to use AI as a performance lever to boost their employability.

The “Virtual Campus”: an end to training deserts

Actual académie is also preparing to deploy a top-tier “Virtual Campus” to bring training wherever the need is.

• Meeting regional needs: This campus will enable young people to stay in their local area to meet the critical needs of local businesses (payroll management, accounting, AI, etc.) where opening a physical campus is not economically viable.
• Local co-construction: This model will rely on a close alliance with local elected officials so that training becomes the driving force behind economic development in every job market.

A unique force in France

Starting in the autumn 2026 term, Actual académie will rely on the strength of the group's 600 employment agencies to guarantee work-study placements. Where traditional schools have a handful of corporate relations officers, academy students will benefit from an unparalleled local network to find their host company.

About Thomas Legrain:

Director of Actual académie, Thomas Legrain is an expert in the transformation of educational models. A graduate of ESSEC (work-study program, 1993-1996), he pursued a career as an executive and strategic consultant before joining Actual group. An entrepreneur at heart, he notably led the Compétences et Développement group and steered large-scale educational innovation projects. His mission is to turn the group's 13 schools into France's leading integrated "Training-Employment-Skills" platform.

About Actual group

A key player in the job and employment market in France, Actual group is a French group with a resolutely human-centered vision, advocating every day to facilitate access to work for everyone. Organized around 4 core businesses—temporary staffing and recruitment, talent acquisition, skills development, and HR consulting—the group is France's No. 1 provider of temporary integration work. Led by Samuel Tual, a committed entrepreneur, Actual group has developed genuine expertise in supporting individuals on their path to employment across France, as well as in Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland, through employment and skills development solutions. The group also offers a comprehensive range of HR solutions to support companies and find or build the skills they need. Thanks to its 3,825 employees and more than 600 agencies across the territory, Actual group currently supports 32,000 companies and over 300,000 individuals towards employment, generating a turnover of €1.48 billion in 2025. Our mission: to make work an opportunity by providing access to employment and developing skills for everyone.