As digital technology is quickly becoming an integral part of every aspect of human life, knowing how to navigate it is crucial. Especially in the workplace, seeing how a significant number of tasks are progressively being replaced by automation. In this context, the Government opened two different training centers last year, so that the greater public may easily acquire all the digital skills needed to avoid any risk of obsolescence on the job market.
The Digital Learning Hub
Launched in May 2022, the Digital Learning Hub (DLH) is the first public training center in Luxembourg that offers exclusively professional trainings in IT. An initiative of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, the DLH was created with two objectives in mind: to further expedite the digital transformation of the country by way of (continuing) education and to help fill the severe need for skilled IT-trained professionals on the current job market.
In this context, our mission is to answer to every need in terms of IT trainings while keeping them short, accessible and affordable.
So far, we offer trainings in the following fields (non-exhaustive list, more to come in the near future):
- Coding
- Design Thinking
- Blockchain
- Cybersecurity
- Data & AI
- IT Administration & Cloud
- Governance
For each of these fields, the DLH has an internal coordinator and external coaches. But, more important, they are in constant conversation with external experts, some are our primary partners, in order to keep permanently up to date with the significant developments in the different fields of IT and tech. Among our partners, you find 42, D-School, Luxembourg Blockchain Lab, etc. Together with constant exchanges with the ADEM, this cooperation with the experts is the very foundation of how our training offers are designed.
Ranging from beginner, intermediate to advanced, the trainings proposed by the DLH are at low-cost for everyone, resident or not and of adult age. We particularly welcome any professionals who seek to update or broaden their digital skills, who wish to start a new career in IT or anyone who is just curious and wants to learn more about the digital world like NFT, metaverse, virtual reality, PEN testing, data sciences and coding in Python, to name just some of the subjects covered at the DLH. No special entry requirements and no preliminary qualifications or degrees are required.
We offer two different types of trainings: learning tracks and individual courses. A learning track is a cluster of different modules that make up a comprehensive and all-round program, which in turn culminates into a specific job title or skillset. Individual courses generally do not pertain to any prolonged program, they are usually tailored to impart a precise skill, instead of a whole skillset. These are also shorter in length (4h – 30h max.), whereas learning tracks take up to a few months to complete.
The DLH is characterized by an alternative way of pedagogy. It has a strong human-first approach, which is why the trainings take place on-site on our premises in Esch/Belval. The number of students is limited in order to allow a personal and, therefore, more effective mentoring. In addition, the specific pedagogical approach through projects and peer or group learning encourages creativity, a sense of responsibility and a taste for entrepreneurship.
Brainstorming session during a Design Thinking workshop
42 Luxembourg
42 Luxembourg is an alternative school for coding that prepares people who want to start a career in computer sciences on a professional level, rather than academic. It is part of the 42 international campus network and uses the 42 know-how.
42 is not a school in the traditional sense. In fact, its pedagogy and structure of the learning program mark a huge departure from traditions. Below are some reasons why:
- No teachers, classes or courses
- No prerequisites
- Tuition-free, no hidden costs
- Pedagogy: gamification, peer-to-peer and project-based learning
- Campus open 24/7
- International and future-ready
42 focuses only on coding. The program is divided into two parts: the common core which takes between 8 and 18 months to complete and the specialisation part. The school is open to anyone above the age of 18. From the very beginning, everyone starts from scratch, no matter his or her background. The program contains almost 150 projects ranging from 2 days to 6 months.
The common core teaches the fundamentals of programming in C and software engineering. This part has to be completed in no more than 18 months, after which participants may choose to continue to the second part and, with these proper foundations in hand, specialize in the direction of their choice (e.g. blockchain, gaming, cybersecurity, etc.).
As 42 has no courses and no schedule and the campus is open 24/7, participants come whenever it suits them and each individual learns at his or her own pace.
42’s pedagogy (as outlined above) enables participants to develop their soft skills alongside the technical ones. To accomplish their projects, they have to face challenges for which they have to find the solutions on their own as well as together with their peers. Learning together and from one another is a very important aspect of the program. The same goes for another unorthodox approach: trial-and-error. Failure is not the end of the world at 42. In fact, making mistakes is even encouraged, for learning from them is how you grow and evolve.
Therefore, in addition to digital skills, participants also gain and/or develop abilities pertaining to personal development such as interpersonal communication, self-sufficiency and self-teaching (“learning to learn”) and finally, time management.
Upon successful completion of this well-rounded program, every candidate will have all the tools necessary to enter the competitive job market, putting every chance on his or her side to be hired rapidly and to become an invaluable asset for the employer or the client.
