- 2015Implementation
- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The public employment service (ADEM) offers many specific training measures for jobseekers, from sectoral training schemes to transversal ones aimed at increasing the overall employability of jobseekers; some programmes include practical training components. The labour market is evolving, professions and skills are changing, which requires investment in developing skills in high demand now and in the future. Innovative solutions must be found to facilitate jobseeker access to employment.
Objectives
Upskilling and reskilling measures for jobseekers and vulnerable groups aim to increase their employability and facilitate their reintegration into the labour market, simultaneously responding to the labour market need for skilled labour.
Description
ADEM, in cooperation with different stakeholders, developed the following main upskilling and reskilling measures for jobseekers.
Skill you up
Since 2018, ADEM and the Chamber of Commerce have offered an ESF-part-funded Skill you up initiative, targeting jobseekers aged 30+ who have completed five years of secondary education and wish to enter a new occupation and/or a new sector of activity. Developed to help employees in the financial sector, affected by redundancy, to redirect their career paths in readiness for important upcoming changes due to digitisation, the programme has a cross-sector design; it also targets migrant jobseekers. The training components include skills assessment; coaching; soft skills training; technical training; follow-up and networking workshops. The training is offered in French and English. Covering eight sessions per year, the project aims to provide training to 200 participants in 2018 and 2019.
Fit 4 initiative
ADEM have offered several training programmes for jobseekers with different thematic perspectives.
The Fit 4 Green Jobs project (2015-17) aimed at training the unemployed under the age of 30 interested in the construction sector. ADEM was responsible in cooperation with the Institute for Construction Training (IFSB). The selected applicants underwent a skills assessment process before being admitted to one of the nine training programmes.
Following the successful implementation of the...
ADEM, in cooperation with different stakeholders, developed the following main upskilling and reskilling measures for jobseekers.
Skill you up
Since 2018, ADEM and the Chamber of Commerce have offered an ESF-part-funded Skill you up initiative, targeting jobseekers aged 30+ who have completed five years of secondary education and wish to enter a new occupation and/or a new sector of activity. Developed to help employees in the financial sector, affected by redundancy, to redirect their career paths in readiness for important upcoming changes due to digitisation, the programme has a cross-sector design; it also targets migrant jobseekers. The training components include skills assessment; coaching; soft skills training; technical training; follow-up and networking workshops. The training is offered in French and English. Covering eight sessions per year, the project aims to provide training to 200 participants in 2018 and 2019.
Fit 4 initiative
ADEM have offered several training programmes for jobseekers with different thematic perspectives.
The Fit 4 Green Jobs project (2015-17) aimed at training the unemployed under the age of 30 interested in the construction sector. ADEM was responsible in cooperation with the Institute for Construction Training (IFSB). The selected applicants underwent a skills assessment process before being admitted to one of the nine training programmes.
Following the successful implementation of the project, a second stage, Fit 4 Green&Build Jobs, was launched in 2018, initially planned to run until 2019. It addressed all unemployed people without restrictions of age limit or relevant prior working experience in the construction sector. French language classes were offered ad hoc. A total of 12 training courses were offered, but the project was discontinued in 2019.
Launched in 2015, the project, Fit 4 Coding, targeted dropouts or unemployed candidates in the process of professional reorientation and offered intensive 490-hour training in four coding languages, qualifying successful graduates to apply for developer or junior web integrator positions. Each learner received individual mentoring. The training has been delivered in English since 2019 as it is the main working language for the IT sector in Luxembourg. By September 2018, over 100 learners had graduated from the Fit 4 Coding/Coding jobs programmes.
Another programme, the Fit 4 Job Start, was launched by ADEM in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce. The training in place since 2017, aims at giving participants the necessary tools to develop a concrete and applicable professional project with the assistance of a coach.
Similar programmes, Fit 4 Entrepreneurship and Fit 4 Digital Future, were launched in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Fit 4 Entrepreneurship, run by the House of Training (the training institute of the Chamber of Commerce), the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts and ADEM, is a coaching and training programme for jobseekers to provide them with the tools needed to create an enterprise. Fit 4 Digital Future, also supported by the Chamber of Commerce, has been offering an introduction to the digital world to young jobseekers between 18 and 30-years-old registered at the ADEM. Applicants must have at least a secondary school leaving diploma and good skills in English and French. The training lasts three weeks and includes a European computer driving licence (ECDL) test while focusing on information security, creation of visual identity, creation of a website, project management, and relational databases. A total of 23 young jobseekers received training in 2018. Reflecting on the potential of digitalisation for future employability of jobseekers, ADEM and the Chamber of Commerce extended the programme into the new Fit 4 Digital Future 2.0 that had run between January 2020 and December 2021.
Specific and tailor-made training programmes
To meet current and future skill needs in all sectors, ADEM is developing many professional training courses and strengthening its partnerships with the National Centre for Continuing Vocational Training. ADEM also offers free training courses developed in partnership with the professional chambers or tailor-made at the request of companies struggling to recruit qualified personnel.
The project, Skill You Up, started.
In 2019, the Skill You Up project and Fit 4 initiative programmes continued.
In 2019, a total of 4 337 jobseekers took part in training courses organised by or with ADEM (excluding adult vocational training).
In 2020, the Basic digital skills programme was introduced for jobseekers with little or no IT skills registered at ADEM. The programme offers training in basic IT skills, following the learning by doing approach. The Chamber of Commerce (CC) has been acting as the project leader through the House of Training, and ADEM is in charge of selecting participants. The Luxembourg Lifelong Learning Centre (LLLC) of the Chamber of employees (CSL) was a partner in this project. This programme was part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF).
Skill You Up 2.0 is a tailor-made measure allowing participants to assess their acquired skills, both technical and behavioural, their motivation and to define a concrete professional project for reintegration into the labour market. The measure is made of two parts. The first combines group workshops and individual coaching and simulation sessions at the recruitment interview; the second consists of the follow-up of a personalised training plan. It targets jobseekers registered with ADEM with a minimum of 5 years in secondary education, and at least 30 years of age. The measure is managed by the House of Training of the Chamber of Commerce and ADEM selects the participants. The programme is part-funded by the ESF.
Offered since January 2020, the programme, Fit 4 Project Management is closely linked to the programme, Fit 4 Digital Future 2.0. It targets jobseekers registered at ADEM wishing to further develop competences in project management methods, particularly in relation to digitalisation and responds to the increasing demand from companies for project management skills in changing environments. The project provides training in 'agile', flexible and product-oriented methods. Upon completion, the programme provides an individual coaching session.
The Fit 4 job start project was discontinued. The FIT4 Coding jobs programme became the Coding jobs programme and had 47 participants. Fit 4 Green&BuildJobs project became the #BuildYourFuture programme and had 40 participants.
In 2020, a total of 2 842 jobseekers took part in training courses organised by or with ADEM (excluding adult vocational training).
In 2021, a partnership in e-learning was formed between the Luxembourgish government and Google, with licences for Google career certificates made available for jobseekers to improve their digital skills. The licences are obtained through online training programmes in job-ready skills in high-growth, high-demand career fields such as IT support, project management, data analytics and UX design. They are distributed through the University of Luxembourg's Competence Centre (ULCC), with ADEM support.
In 2021, 37 jobseekers participated in the Fit 4 Digital Future 2.0 training programme, 36 in the Fit 4 Project Management programme, 86 in the Skill you up measure, and 90 in the Fit4 Entrepreneurship.
The #BuildYourFuture programme aims to orient jobseekers registered with ADEM towards the trade and construction sectors. Jobseekers are trained to an assistant craftsperson level, i.e. to a basic level with the possibility of progressing towards a qualification in the chosen trade, thus guaranteeing sustainable job opportunities in the trade and building sectors. The #BuildYourFuture programme, the result of collaboration with the competence centres, offers around 12 certified training courses for trades in short supply, such as assistant roofer, damp-proofer or machine operator.
In 2021, a total of 5 673 jobseekers took part in training courses organised by or with ADEM (excluding adult vocational training).
The Skill You Up project was renewed in 2022. Thanks to its two strands, it enables jobseekers to assess the skills they have acquired, to get motivated again and to find a new impetus in their professional careers. 38 job seekers benefited from Skill You Up 2.0 in 2022.
The Fit 4 Project Management 2.0 programme is an extension of the Fit 4 Project Management programme. 37 job seekers benefited from the programme over this period.
The Basic Digital Skill 2022 programme is an extension of the programme initiated in 2020.
Training courses were developed to meet the demand of specific sectors, such as the #Build Your Future programme (training for bricklayers and plasterers) or to meet the specific needs of certain companies (delivery driver for heavy goods vehicles, manufacturing worker in the catering industry).
The Fit 4 Digital future project was discontinued.
The Fit 4 Entrepreneurship programme became the Start your business programme and had 87 participants.
In 2023, 1039 jobseekers enroled in free training courses in sectors that are recruiting offered by the public employment service (ADEM) (more than half - 693 - in IT sector). 190 were enroled in cross-disciplinary courses, reinforcing digital skills (general, non-specialised), personal skills ('soft skills') or project management skills. 1 860 jobseekers were enroled in activation/guidance courses and 94 in entrepreneurship courses. 594 jobseekers were enroled in a training course covered by the budget that the professional chambers make available for the benefit of jobseekers.
In 2023, 42 job seekers benefited from Skill You Up 2.0 which was extended for one year.
The Fit 4 Project Management 2.0 and the Basic Digital Skill 2022 programmes were finalised in 2022.
The 'Start your business' programme had 81 participants.
New Projects were Launched in 2023 by the ADEM, the House of Training and the Chamber of employees:
- the Fit4Agile project gives jobseekers the opportunity to acquire or formalise project management skills in order to make their profile more attractive to employers. 12 jobseekers participated in 2023;
- the Skills4job project supports jobseekers by offering three pathways: (re)defining a short-term career path by identifying upskilling or reskilling needs, strengthening cross-disciplinary skills through a tailored training plan, and optimising employability by working on job search strategy. 244 jobseekers participated in 2023.
In 2024, thanks to the Basic digital skills project, jobseekers registered at the public employment service (ADEM) can attend training on basic digital skills at the House of Training at the Chamber of Commerce or at the Lifelong Learning Centre at the Chamber of Employees.
The programme StartYourCareer offered by the House of training from the Chamber of Commerce, enables young jobseekers (between 18 and 29) to define a realistic short-term career plan; decipher the realities of the job market; work on their job search strategy; and acquire or strengthen the cross-disciplinary skills in demand on the market. To better answer individual needs, it focuses on individual or small group coaching.
In the framework of their partnership, the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts has regular exchanges with ADEM which sends ad hoc requests to enable jobseekers to take part in various training courses offered by the Chamber.
The Fit4Agile and the Skills4job projects are still running but the final figures on the number of participants are not yet available.
Bodies responsible
- Public employment service (ADEM)
- Chamber of Commerce
- Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts
- Chamber of Employees
- Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy (MTEESS)
Target groups
Learners
- Unemployed and jobseekers
Thematic categories
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
Green transition and environmental sustainability have a significant place in the EU agenda (Green Deal), including the agenda for VET. This thematic sub-category refers to identifying in cooperation with industry, incorporating into VET curricula and programmes and teaching the skills related and needed for the green transition, including sector- and occupation-specific skills and those across sectors. It covers measures aimed at ‘greening’ VET programmes, including awareness and knowledge about climate change, green technologies and innovation, energy efficiency, circular economy and environmental sustainability. It also includes the use of appropriate learning methods that develop such awareness.
This thematic sub-category refers to updating VET curricula and programmes to incorporate skills related and needed for the digital transition, including sector- and occupation-specific ones identified in cooperation with stakeholders.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Upskilling and reskilling measures for jobseekers: Luxembourg. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28357