Journal article: This paper compares how well apprenticeship training helps open the door to the labour market in France and Germany between 1998 and 2013. The data used come from the German Socio-Economic Panel and the Enquêtes Génération from Céreq. Estimates using instrumental variables reveal that, in relation to standard academic studies, apprenticeships offer a greater labour market advantage in France than in Germany upon leaving secondary school. Hiring rates in training companies, at the end of an apprenticeship contract, are higher in Germany, but, for those who are unsuccessful, finding a job on the external market is easier in France. A higher education diploma in apprenticeship does not represent an advantage on the labour market in either country.