The current digitalisation and automation process taking place across business sectors has a major impact on skills and competences required on the labour market, and affects companies and trades to various degrees. In response, the Digital skills bridge pilot project was launched in May 2018, targeting employees whose positions are changing or are at risk due to the digital transformation. This preventive and proactive project anticipates the changes introduced by digital transformation and allows both companies and employees to adapt to this new environment.

The Digital skills bridge project is open to all companies, regardless of sector of activity or size, and offers them technical assistance to plan the company’s future jobs and skills management. It offers employees the opportunity to invest in new business, digital and cross-functional skills by training of the newest technologies. Employees benefit from a skills assessment and an individual advisor to support them throughout the process: from identification of a new position, through accelerated, tailor-made, highly pragmatic training courses until integration into the new function. The project secures employee career paths, whether in the current company or a new position at a different company.

The project was launched by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the national employment services (Adem). Governance of the pilot is ensured by the Comité de conjoncture, a tripartite official body.

In November 2018, as a first step, the pilot selected about 15 companies and 350 employees. Four training bodies have been selected through a call for tenders to deliver the soft and digital skills training needs of participants and companies. Luxembourg’s Digital Skills Bridge project has been recognised by the Financial Times, Google and leading European policy makers as one of 100 digital pioneers in Europe.