- 2022Implementation
Background
To respond to the growing demand for highly skilled ICT specialists on the Luxembourg labour market, the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth founded the Digital Learning Hub (DLH) to attract national and cross-border talent, regardless of their qualification, with training offered by renowned training providers and a learning environment that encourages creativity, autonomy and teamwork.
Objectives
To reduce the digital skills gap and to address the shortage in highly skilled ICT professionals in Luxembourg.
Description
The DLH is located in the south of Luxembourg. On its 700 m2, the Hub offers open and multi-purpose spaces and multifunctional classrooms, an amphitheatre and computer laboratories dedicated to networks, cybersecurity and product design and prototyping. A virtual infrastructure can be used to create working environments of all kinds, simulating a wide range of operating systems, software and usage scenarios such as cyber-attacks. The DLH favours face-to-face learning, but all training can also be followed remotely if circumstances require it. The DLH has a core team and also uses a network of external experts. It applies innovative didactics and peer learning rather than formal teacher-led classrooms.
The DLH offers training in four areas: coding, design thinking, cybersecurity and blockchain.
The world-renowned School 42 (École 42) offers gamified training where learners progress by solving challenges, through peer-to-peer exchanges. The École 42 training takes 3 years to complete on average and leads to a bachelor equivalent certificate.
D-School is based on a model from Stanford University and offers a human-centred approach to solving complex problems, finding sustainable solutions, and designing innovation projects.
The Luxembourg Blockchain Lab is the initiative of five associations and research centres active in the field. It offers training courses on the main principles of blockchain, its legal and financial...
The DLH is located in the south of Luxembourg. On its 700 m2, the Hub offers open and multi-purpose spaces and multifunctional classrooms, an amphitheatre and computer laboratories dedicated to networks, cybersecurity and product design and prototyping. A virtual infrastructure can be used to create working environments of all kinds, simulating a wide range of operating systems, software and usage scenarios such as cyber-attacks. The DLH favours face-to-face learning, but all training can also be followed remotely if circumstances require it. The DLH has a core team and also uses a network of external experts. It applies innovative didactics and peer learning rather than formal teacher-led classrooms.
The DLH offers training in four areas: coding, design thinking, cybersecurity and blockchain.
The world-renowned School 42 (École 42) offers gamified training where learners progress by solving challenges, through peer-to-peer exchanges. The École 42 training takes 3 years to complete on average and leads to a bachelor equivalent certificate.
D-School is based on a model from Stanford University and offers a human-centred approach to solving complex problems, finding sustainable solutions, and designing innovation projects.
The Luxembourg Blockchain Lab is the initiative of five associations and research centres active in the field. It offers training courses on the main principles of blockchain, its legal and financial implications and introduction to blockchain programming. In addition to its catalogue courses, the DLH offers customised training courses on employer request.
The DLH courses are open to anyone over the age of 18, subject to admission tests and assessments based solely on candidate ICT competences, regardless of the country of residence and former qualifications. The courses particularly target young people who have left secondary school or university, with or without a diploma; jobseekers who wish to retrain (reskilling); and digital professionals sent by their company to improve their skills in a highly specialised field (upskilling). Courses are free of charge to job seekers registered with the public employment service.
The DLH was launched in May 2022 and approximately 900 participants took part in 150 courses.
Bodies responsible
- VET Department of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (SFP)
Target groups
Learners
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
Thematic categories
Modernising VET infrastructure
This thematic category looks at how VET schools and companies providing VET are supported to update and upgrade their physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, including digital and green technologies, so that learners in all VET programmes and specialities have access to state-of-the-art equipment and are able to acquire relevant and up-to-date vocational and technical skills and competences. Modernising infrastructure in remote and rural areas increases the inclusiveness of VET and LLL.
This thematic sub-category focuses on establishing and upgrading to state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, equipment and technology, such as computers, hardware, connectivity and good broadband speed that should ensure quality and inclusive VET provision, especially in blended and virtual modes. It also includes specific measures to remove the digital divide, e.g. supporting geographically remote or rural areas to ensure social inclusion through access to such infrastructure for learning and teaching. It also includes support measures for learners from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to acquire the necessary equipment.
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.
VET standards and curricula define the content and outcomes of learning, most often at national or sectoral levels. VET programmes are based on standards and curricula and refer to specific vocations/occupations. They all need to be regularly reviewed, updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market and society. They need to include a balanced mix of vocational and technical skills corresponding to economic cycles, evolving jobs and working methods, and key competences, providing for resilience, lifelong learning, employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, sustainable awareness and personal development (Council of the European Union, 2020). The thematic sub-category also refers to establishing new VET programmes, reducing their number or discontinuing some. It also includes design of CVET programmes and training courses to adapt to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and re-skilling needs.
This thematic sub-category is about the way learners learn, how the learning is delivered to them, and by what means. Programmes become more accessible through a combination of adaptable and flexible formats (e.g. face-to-face, digital and/or blended learning), through digital learning platforms that allow better outreach, especially for vulnerable groups and for learners in geographically remote or rural areas.
This thematic sub-category focuses on developing and updating all kinds of learning resources and materials, both for learners and for teachers and trainers (e.g. teachers handbooks or manuals), to embrace current and evolving content and modes of learning. These activities target all kinds of formats: hard copy and digital publications, learning websites and platforms, tools for learner self-assessment of progress, ICT-based simulators, virtual and augmented reality, etc.
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.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET agile in adapting to labour market challenges
- VET as an attractive choice based on modern and digitalised provision of training and skills
- VET promoting equality of opportunities
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
- Establishing a new lifelong learning culture - relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation
- Sustainability - a green link in VET