Efficient guidance provision

In 2019, the House of guidance (Maison de l'orientation) published a reference framework for school and professional guidance (cadre de référence pour l'orientation scolaire et professionnelle), a tool for secondary schools to structure and evaluate their existing guidance actions and initiatives, and, if needed, introduce new ones. It is compulsory for each school to define its own educational and vocational guidance approach while meeting the criteria defined in the reference framework. In every secondary school, a guidance unit (cellule d'orientation) is responsible for the orientation process set out in the school's development plan; it is mandatory for each unit to have at least two members of the teaching staff, two educational or psycho-social staff and at least one guidance counsellor. Members of the guidance unit must follow continuing training for at least eight hours per year; training is organised by the coordination service of the House of guidance (Maison de l'orientation) and Training Institute of National Education (IFEN).

Despite the pandemic, all guidance institutions managed to provide their services by implementing alternate ways of being in contact with people.

In May 2021, the House of guidance (Maison de l'orientation) opened a platform made up of five thematic counters, although initially only three of them were opened because of pandemic. These three counters focus on the educational offer, for instance secondary schools' offer, wellbeing, writing a CV, as well as higher education, meaning access requirements, the application procedures and the recognition of diplomas. In addition, it concerned adult training and more specifically, general education courses, validation of prior experiential learning, resumption of studies, better reading and writing, and linguistic integration. The remaining two counters, not yet operational in 2021, should provide also a general overview of professions and VET such as trades, professions, first professional experiences, apprenticeship, and give information to youth concerning volunteering, au pair, internships, holiday jobs, accommodation, extracurricular activities, and administrative procedures.

The front-line counselling service on the platform could be followed up with sessions with specialised counsellors.

In 2021, the House of guidance (Maison de l'orientation) implemented 'ZOOM - Professions and trades', a dedicated webpage on the discovery of professions and trades. Video testimonies of professionals, trainees, and apprentices were made available, as well as information regarding access criteria, working conditions and the required skills and qualifications for each of the different professions and trades.

In 2022, the House of guidance (Maison de l'orientation) officially opened the new multi-partner Guidance platform (after a limited opening in 2021) where citizens find information and advice to guide their paths towards education, training, or professional development. It acts as a clearance space that allows clients find relevant services they need and has five thematic entry points.

In November 2023, the House of Guidance (Maison de l'orientation) launched a new website, www.orientation.lu. It brings together in one place all the resources and information related to academic and professional guidance. The site is designed for learners and their parents seeking a secondary school or information about higher education as well as for young entering professional life or adults looking to reskill or upskill.

The new website provides users with the following information and tools:

• Mengschoul.lu to find the secondary school that best suits the needs of the learners,
• Mäiberuff.lu: contains information on trades and professions and on their respective training programmes available in Luxembourg or abroad,
• Mengstudien.lu: the website of the Ministry of Research and Higher Education is aimed at secondary school and university students who wish to pursue higher education or who wish to return to it. It provides information on higher education in Luxembourg and abroad, admission requirements and application procedures for universities, the state financial aid for higher education and information sessions and events related to higher education.
• Lifelong-learning.lu: the reference site for lifelong learning managed by INFPC. It is a platform of contact between individuals and training bodies that offers an extensive catalogue of more than 12 000 courses provided by more than 300 training bodies. It also centralises information on training: news, law, practices, training environment.
• Academic and Professional Guidance: to obtain information about academic paths, the labour market, or changing professional paths.
• Open doors at secondary schools: to discover Luxembourg's secondary schools and their academic offer during open days,
• First Professional Experiences: The"Jobs & Stages" platform of www.jugendinfo.lu offers holiday jobs, student jobs (temporary contracts), and internships to young individuals and provides companies with the opportunity to publish their offers to recruit young talent.
• Job Market, Opportunities by Sector and Profession: Job board managed by the public employment service (ADEM) to monitor the evolution of the job market in Luxembourg.

In 2024, the law adopted June 2023, introducing a change in the organisational structure of guidance in secondary schools entered into force. Following this law, the missions of the School Guidance and Integration Unit ("Cellules d' orientation et integration") have been expanded to include the integration of newly arrived learners. The guidance teams are part of the newly created educational and psycho-social departments ("département éducatif et psycho-social"), consisting of:

1. the psycho-social and educational accompaniment service (SePAS);
2. the socio-educational service;
3. the ESEB (Educational and Social Support Service for learners with specific needs);
4. the school guidance and integration unit (COI); and, if applicable,
5. the boarding school.

The School Guidance and Integration Unit (COI) is responsible for implementing the school guidance and integration process.

As VET is part of upper secondary education, the missions of the COI include guidance from lower secondary education to VET, as well as guidance on VET pathways, including into post-secondary VET.

Set by law, the guidance process is carried out according to the reference framework. This reference framework describes:

1. the objectives to be achieved by school guidance and integration;
2. the measures to be taken to achieve these objectives;
3. the specialised services or external stakeholders consulted to provide information on the socio-economic world;
4. the involvement of members of the school community in the school guidance and integration process.

The reference framework for school guidance and integration is developed by the Coordination Service of the House of Guidance, in collaboration with the Department for Coordination of Educational and Technological Research and Innovation, and the school integration and welcome service (SIA), and is approved by the minister.

The guidance procedures of the secondary schools are evaluated, in line with the reference framework and based on the school development plan, every 5 years.