On Thursday 14 January 2016, Luxembourg's first WebForce3 school for Web developers and integrators was inaugurated in the presence of Minister of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy, Nicolas Schmit, and a French delegation.
Prior to the official opening, the Minister had visited the premises of the school and met the students of the very first class, who will be undertaking an intensive training programme of 490 hours in three and a half months to become operating Web developer-integrators. The school was first opened on Monday 30 November 2015 on the Technoport premises in Esch-sur-Alzette, an environment that the Ministry and school see as a stimulating backdrop for the future players of digital transformation in the Grand Duchy.
The opening forms part of the Fit4Coding strategic initiative, which has been launched by the Luxembourg government and co-financed by the European Social Fund. It involves a partnership between the Agence pour le Développement de l'Emploi (ADEM) and the NumericALL company, which handles the WebForce3 school in Luxembourg. 17 jobseekers have begun Fit4Coding training to enable them to apply for a post as a Developer of Junior Integrator.
"The WebForce3 school meets all the criteria to become a success: an innovative education, a close partnership with both the public through ADEM and the private with leading companies in the digital economy," Minister Nicolas Schmit said of his hope for the school. "This project demonstrates the commitment of this government to invest in people's abilities to prepare them for the digital transformation. In this way, social investment becomes a pillar of the Digital Lëtzebuerg strategy."
Yves Lepage, co-founder and manager of NumericALL, described his company as holding "the ambition to contribute to skills development in the Luxembourg economy for a successful digital transformation."
"ICTs are job providers and this will intensify in future years," added Isabelle Schlesser, Director of ADEM. "Right now, we see a gap between the profiles of jobseekers registered with ADEM and the demand in advanced technologies. Through training such as Fit4Coding we hope to develop the skills which best respond to the needs of businesses."
NumericALL will undertake the educational aspect of the programme to ensure the development of operational skills, whilst ADEM will focus on identifying computer enthusiasts for candidates. Companies such as Vanksen, Kneip and PwC have already reportedly shown interest by initiating partnerships with NumericALL, with discussions with other economic players underway.
Photos by MTEESS (Top: Minister Nicolas Schmit with first WebForce3 class. Bottom L-R: Isabelle Schlesser; Nicolas Schmit; Yves Lepage)
