Clariane Takes Over Seven Training Institutes from Croix-Saint-Simon, Bringing 800 Students

Seven Institutes, Nearly 800 Students per Year and All Employees Retained

The Paris Court of Economic Activities approved the offer presented by Université Clariane to ensure the continuity of the Training and Research division of the Œuvre de la Croix Saint-Simon Foundation. The foundation had been placed in judicial receivership in November 2025, due to difficulties encountered by certain of its activities. The division thus joined Université Clariane, attached to the group of specialized nursing homes and care facilities.

The acquired scope comprises seven training institutes, which welcome nearly 800 students each year. These institutes prepare students for careers as nurses, nursing assistants, childcare auxiliaries, pediatric nurses and social service assistants. The division also offers continuing education programs for professionals already in practice.

From a social standpoint, all employees are retained. Existing training programs, teaching teams, management and the identity of the institutes are maintained. Students will continue their studies under the conditions originally planned.

According to the press release, these students will remain entirely free to choose their internship locations and future employers, within the Clariane group as well as outside it. This point clarifies the scope of the operation: the takeover does not oblige future graduates to join group facilities. However, it does bring Université Clariane into a distinct field from its own, initial training, which the group presents as the core area of the Croix Saint-Simon division.

A Structure Already Training 12% of Group Workforce

Université Clariane, which has the status of an association, has specialized in continuing professional education for nearly ten years. It is organized around three divisions: management, healthcare and services. Each year, it supports more than 7,700 Clariane group employees engaged in diploma-level training, representing 12% of the group's workforce.

The structure also provides, directly or through partner training centers, nearly one million hours of continuing education annually in France. With the Croix Saint-Simon division, it now brings together both ends of the chain: initial preparation for paramedical and social diplomas on one side, and skills development for practicing professionals on the other.

The two teams have identified three working priorities. The first consists of multiplying pathways to diploma-level training throughout professional life, for healthcare workers as well as for those considering a career change. The second aims to strengthen the attractiveness of the professions concerned.

The third focuses on developing European exchange programs within the Erasmus framework. These programs will rely on Clariane group locations in Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Management Highlights Sector Recruitment Difficulties

Sophie Boissard, Chief Executive Officer of the Clariane group, framed the operation in response to the "growing need for qualified professionals." She argued that it was the group's responsibility to play an active role in skills development and preparation of the next generation.

Professor Antoine Piau, President of the Université Clariane Association, noted that "many facilities, both in hospitals and in the medico-social sector, struggle to recruit." He connected this observation to needs related to population aging and the progression of chronic diseases. He also stressed that the acquired division has developed research activities, with paramedical research being presented as a priority for Université Clariane.

Valérie Bouix Leroux, Director of the Training and Research division of the foundation, concluded that this takeover gives teams the means to continue and expand their mission.