We speak to Jack Gervis, chairman of Astralios Group, and Natalia Gervis. A new member of the Federation for EDucation in Europe, Astralios Group has two FEDE member institutions: Envoll in Aix-en-Provence and AS Formation in Strasbourg. We wanted to find out more about these two institutions and their educational vision.

You are a new member of the Federation for EDucation in Europe. Astralios Group has two educational institutions: AS Formation and Envoll. Can you tell us how the institutions merged?

Following the adoption, in 2018, of a French law overhauling professional education, it has become important to group together skills-acquisition actors, like AS Formation and Envoll, that are committed to innovation, synergies and collective intelligence. By merging the two institutions, we are now able to meet the needs of our customers more easily, and in terms of both practical and educational aspects, be they human resources managers, employers, employees, jobseekers, careers advisors or funding bodies. As an African proverb aptly puts it: ‘You walk faster alone, but you go further together’.

AS Formation offers more than 500 programmes. A real bonus is that students can personalise their course of studies. Generally speaking, what kind of students or learners do you attract?

We are fortunate to have lots of different types of learners: people of every age (from young people under 26 to people in their 60s who wish to change career), from various backgrounds (our courses can also be taken by people living in bordering countries, such as Germany) and from various socio-professional groups (including employees and jobseekers, since we offer tailor-made schedules that can be adjusted to our learners’ professional obligations).

Envoll is located in Aix-en-Provence and offers distance-learning and tailor-made programmes (in HR, languages, management, project management etc.). Remote learning is really on the rise. Are you working to develop your distance-learning options?

Yes, the Astralios network offers various modes of study that take into account the diverse situations, profiles and needs of our customers: in-person training in one of our centres, synchronous remote learning (virtual classes held in real time with a teacher), asynchronous remote learning (guided e-learning), and blended learning, which combines different modes of study; all of these options use reliable, sound teaching methods. Given that our modes of study draw on different knowledge, methods and tools, our instructors undergo continuous training. All our programmes, both at Envoll and AS Formation, are available in dual mode: some learners are physically present in the classroom with a teacher, while others are connected to the classroom over the Internet. We are also continuing to develop a tool that is central to our teaching: DIGIPAS. In particular, we are developing methods for learning and optimising study time that are tailor-made to each student: mobile learning/rapid learning, serious games, virtualisation, and others. For example, thanks to DIGIPAS, we are developing ‘adaptive learning’, which draws on artificial intelligence and emotional intelligence.

Which of your programmes are currently most in demand?

We receive the largest number of applications for qualification- and certificate-granting programmes in management, HR, accounting and finance. Also, we get a lot of requests from students wishing to enrol in our courses throughout the year.

In what ways do you collaborate with the Federation for EDucation in Europe?

The Astralios network collaborates with the FEDE, via its two institutions AS Formation and Envoll, in offering the FEDE Master’s: Human Resources Director and training courses for the following FEDE certificates:
• Profit Centre Management
• Customer Relations Management
• Project Management
• Communication for Interpersonal Relations in the Workplace
• Team Management
• Human Resources Management
• Digital Marketing
• Leading the Different Stages of a Training Session
•  Sales Techniques

What are your plans for the 2021-2022 academic year?

We have stepped up development of the Astralios network so as to integrate new members.
Also, we are launching three new qualification-granting programmes:

Accounting and Administration Diploma (bachelor’s-level DCG) Prep Course
Human Resources Manager (level 6, bachelor’s level)
Human Resources Director (level 7, master’s level)

Photo: Jacky Gervis is the chairman; Natalia Gervis is the manager.