Policy Statement
Work-based learning, and apprenticeships in particular, are key to equip young and adult learners with the competences that are needed for a resilient and future-oriented society. The digital and green transition require IVET governance to keep learners abreast of the changing skill needs of trades and professions. New curricula are designed to respond to the digitalization across economic sectors: from smart technologies in building, robotics or IoT to e-commerce. The ambitious goal set out in the European Green Deal to reach climate neutrality by 2050 results in an increasing demand for training in green technologies and skills, related to electro-mobility, the transition to renewable sources in heating and building insulation, sustainable energy production and circular economy. Recent and currently developed programmes in this area are e.g. climate-friendly commercial cooling or a mechatronics for electric vehicles.
Apprenticeship is a quality choice for learners. In an ever faster evolving skills environment, apprenticeship allows learners to keep pace with the labour market skills requirements. On the other hand, it is a key factor for enterprises that allows to ensure the continuity of knowledge transfer in the light of demographic change. Apprenticeship is an important recruitment opportunity, which reflects in the share of retained talent: More than 80% of apprentices being in employment immediately after their diploma in permanent work contracts.
Providing quality apprenticeship programs, in partnership with stakeholders, is a key mission of the Ministry of Education, Childhood and Youth. The development and update of curricula is accompanied by continuous quality assessment mechanisms. A recurrent study on the matching between labour market skills requirements and the current 123 IVET programs builds on a multi-perspective approach, based on qualitative interviews with training companies, learners and curricula analysis. A longitudinal study based on administrative data analyses the pathways of IVET graduates into the labour market. Evidence-based monitoring, as a core element of steering on governance level, is currently further developed and will play an increasingly important role in sustaining the Ministry’s efforts to ensure high quality education. In order to foster the employability of learners, innovation in IVET is implemented swiftly and makes use of more agile forms than curricula updates, e.g. by offering additional standardized certifications such as KNX or ICDL as part of IVET programs. These certifications are valued by employers and can be capitalized on the labour market.
Apprenticeship has shown resilient in times of the recent COVID-19 crisis. A temporary decline in apprenticeship offer during the lock-down was almost fully compensated after to an extension of the contracting period by three months; apprentices were eligible for temporary unemployment and could benefit from financial compensations during the lock-down. Due to the unlocking of financial incentives to training companies to employ apprentices, with increased investment in enterprises taking over laid-off apprentices or creating more apprenticeship positions compared to previous years, ranging from 1500 to 5000 EUR per apprentice, 1175 apprenticeship positions could be maintained and created. Also, to tackle the risk of early leaving of learners who could not find an apprenticeship position, a one-year programme “Fit fir d’Léier” (“ready for apprenticeship”) has been introduced at National training centres, offering learners opportunity to foster their soft skills and join regular apprenticeship programs in the following year.
In conclusion, apprenticeship, as a dualized form of work-based learning plays an important role to provide the young generation of learners with the skills that they will need in their future work life. Practical, hands-on training in real-life situations also fosters transversal skills, such as social skills, creativity and problem solving, that are crucial to prepare learners for future societal changes.