On Wednesday 13 April 2016, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce presented two initiatives dedicated to improving training and learning opportunities in the country.
The new apprenticeship campaign has been developed under the slogan and key message of 'Learning: Let's Move Forward Together!' ('L'apprentissage: avançons ensemble!'), whilst the new 'TalentCheck' tool aims to improve the direction of future apprentices.
"The promotion and organisation of apprenticeships are part of the essential missions of the Chamber of Commerce and we take this mission very seriously," commented Director General of the Chamber of Commerce, Carlo Thelen. "We manage 25 courses in the areas of trade, industry, services, socio-education, hospitality and catering. On 31 December 2015, our teams managed some 1,700 apprenticeships and we recorded more than 900 apprenticeship contracts for the 2015-2016 school year, making our chamber the largest apprenticeship contract manager in the country."
Despite this, the often low qualification of apprentices searching for training and the effects of perfectible educational and vocational guidance mean that many training places remain vacant, even though some young people remain without a training company. It is therefore these two major issues that the Chamber of Commerce is looking to focus on through its new campaign and youth guidance tool.
Patrick Ernzer, Director of Communication and Media at the Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the aims behind the new 'winwin.lu' campaign aiming to promote apprenticeships by informing the public and stakeholders on the benefits of vocational training.
"The campaign has three objectives," Patrick Ernzer explained. "We want, on one hand, to encourage and motivate companies to report more apprenticeship positions, so act on the offer. On the other hand, to mptivate young people to engage in the path of learning, so act on the request. In addition, we want to be the intermediary between young people seeking a training company and the companies offering apprenticeships."
As the name suggests, the 'winwin' concept reflects the strategic approach of the campaign to highlight the benefits for all parties involved. By also offering the testimonies of young apprentices and entrepreneurs, the initiative also aims to re-evaluate learning professions. The www.winwin.lu portal is available in both French and German.
The new guidance tool 'TalentCheck', aimed at improving the orientation of future apprentices, was described by project manager Iris Hoffelt as an assessment centre for students of the 9th or for any apprenticeship candidate. It provides a skills assessment, allowing the potential apprentice to better understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to fully prepare for a future project. The 'TalentCheck' equally acts as a valuable aid to companies by saving them time in the selection of trainees.
Specifically, the 'TalentCheck' tool tests skills in nine different areas, including concentration and observation, practical calculation, and linguistic and organisational aptitudes. Ms. Hoffelt explained that the results are not binding and are provided for information only, meaning that candidates cannot 'fail' at the test. The tool is also open to other partners, such as the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and other professional associations.
The 'TalentCheck' is available in German or French, with the first session scheduled for the second week of May 2016 and more to follow until September 2016. Registration can be carried out viw www.winwin.lu.
The two new campaigns join the other initiatives that the Chamber of Commerce is involved in to promote continued education and advanced training as a path to excellence and competitiveness, including the joint launch with the ABBL of the House of Training in late 2015, the creation of the Institut Supérieur de l'Economie (ISEC), and the 'Fit4Entrepreneurship' programme developed in particular collaboration with ADEM to train the unemployed.
Photo by Chamber of Commerce (Iris Hoffelt, consultant, project manager of "TalentCheck"; Roger Thoss, head of initial training and learning; Carlo Thelen, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and Patrick Ernzer, Director Communication and Media of the Chamber of Commerce)
