Developing digital skills
Technological change means that digital skills are increasingly important for participating in a connected society, accessing information and satisfying the changing demands of the digital economy. Digital literacy means having the basic digital know-how needed to use ICT tools and the Internet in a conscious and beneficial way. Digital skills are divided into three main categories or concepts: using, understanding and creating. Within each of these capabilities, there is a wide range of different skill levels, but the goal is for everyone to acquire basic level digital skills.
This action plan therefore focuses on the development of skills and digital citizenship in order to enable individuals to navigate the digital world in a more autonomous and safer way, regardless of their age, level of education or gender.
In order to encourage digital familiarization from an early age onwards, formal and non-formal education, as well as analogue, audiovisual and digital resources are essential. It is essential to offer training adapted to different levels of abilities and in different languages in order to satisfy everyone’s needs to make them digitally autonomous. By offering a multitude of decentralized initiatives across the Grand Duchy and building on existing structures, the Luxembourg government is committed to providing opportunities for retraining and strengthening digital skills.
In a collective effort by all stakeholders, the following initiatives have been selected:
1. Digital skills training
Collaboration between the Ministry for Digitalisation and the non-profit organisation ErwuesseBildung to develop digital skills training courses tailored to different levels and available in several languages. The training courses will be made available free of charge to organisations working in the social field in order to be accessible to as many citizens as possible throughout the Grand Duchy.
2. E-Banking training
Development of an e-banking training module as a preparation for the use of digital banking services by the Ministry for Digitalisation and the Ministry for Consumer Protection, in collaboration with the "Commission de surveillance du secteur financier" and the non-profit organisation ErwuesseBildung and the ABBL Foundation for Financial Education.
3. Training on digital inclusion
Development of a participatory vocational training course on digital inclusion for associations and organisations dealing with audiences that are digitally isolated by the Ministry for Digitalisation. The workshop will train and inform staff on digital inclusion topics and offerings to facilitate the digital inclusion of their target audiences.
4. "Einfach digital" strategy
Implementation of the "einfach digital" education strategy by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth with the aim of getting oneself acquainted with digital technology from an early age on. The general framework of the strategy is provided by a reference guide for education about and by the media, the Medienkompass, which helps teachers and educators to raise children’s and young people’s awareness of media use and train them in that regard.
The strategy introduced plans for the systematic teaching of coding and computational thinking throughout the primary and secondary school curricula. Since the 2020-2021 school year, learning to code has been integrated into mathematics lessons throughout cycle 4 of primary education and will be extended to the other cycles as from September 2021. From the start of the 2021-2022 school year, a new multidisciplinary Digital Sciences course will be gradually integrated into all lower classes of classical and general secondary education in order to develop the technological, human and cognitive skills to successfully and securely operate in a digitalised environment. The Centre for Educational IT Management (CGIE) continues to implement the Digital Classroom initiative and the multi-annual national "one2one" strategy, which consists of generalising the introduction of iPad-type tablets in secondary schools by 2023 and turning them into a production and learning tool, which is supporting teaching.
5. Training in the safe use of the Internet
Provision of training on safe use of the Internet for children and young people in primary and secondary schools, and likewise for senior citizens, by the BEE SECURE initiative, under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. BEE SECURE offers training on current trends and the online behaviour of young people to multipliers, i.e. teachers and educators. BEE SECURE training and teaching materials are integrated into the new Digital Sciences course, taught in lower secondary school classes from the start of the 2021/2022 school year. A specific training course for teachers will present BEE SECURE teaching materials which are designed to teach the responsible and secure use of digital technology and can also be used by staff dealing with people with disabilities. In addition, BEE SECURE offers evenings for parents as well as training courses for pupils or groups of children or young people in the context of the day-care centres (maison relais) or the youth centres.
6. Promotion of STEM subjects
Increased interest in STEM subjects through the initiatives "Scienteens Lab - De Labo fir Jonker", "Luxembourg Science Center", "Base1" and "Science.lu" of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. The National Youth Service coordinates the Makerspace Base1, a space where young people can carry out their own projects in collaboration with experts in various technological and digital fields. In addition, Base1 and SCRIPT coordinate 24 makerspaces in secondary schools at the regional level and 4 makerspaces in day-care centres and primary schools at the municipal level. With the support of the National Research Fund, the National Youth Service launched the "Makerkoffer" project, a set of activities in the field of coding aimed at children from the age of 8, which will be made available free of charge to everyone in German, French and English.
7. Information events "Silver Surfer - surfer en toute sécurité"
Organisation of a series of interactive senior-to-senior information events called "Silver Surfer – surfer en toute sécurité" (Silver Surfer - Safe Surfing) by BEE SECURE, in which participants learn the basics of the secure handling of new media and get practical tips.
8. Basic adult training courses
Provision of specific courses for basic digital literacy by the Department of Adult Education of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. The basic training courses are organised throughout the country and allow for an individual approach. In addition, the Department of Adult Education will include the development of basic digital skills in the language integration programmes, as well as in the integration classes of the back-to-education programme.
9. Promotion of cybersecurity professions among women and girls
Professional reorientation of women and promotion of their role in cybersecurity careers by SECURITYMADEIN.lu in partnership with Cyberwayfinder.com and the non-profit organisation "Women Cyber Force".
10. "Lëtz Cybersecurity Challenge"
Organisation of the annual "Lëtz Cybersecurity Challenge" by SECURITYMADEIN.lu and the Ministry of the Economy in order to encourage young people to pursue a career in cybersecurity and related fields.
11. Introduction to coding
Organisation of free workshops to introduce girls and women to coding by the Innovative Initiatives initiative in collaboration with the non-profit organisation WIDE.
12. "Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition"
Governance of the "Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition" by the Innovative Initiatives together with the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts. The initiative is coordinated by the non-profit organisation WIDE in consultation with Innovative Initiatives. The "Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition" is a platform for exchange and matchmaking between supply and demand for digital training courses, and the promotion of basic and advanced digital skills.
13. Training of public officials in digital accessibility
Digital accessibility training for public-sector officials by the government’s Information and Press Service (SIP) in order to raise awareness of digital accessibility issues, digital accessibility criteria and its legal framework in Luxembourg. The objective is to ensure that accessibility is taken into account and implemented at the various stages of digital projects.
14. Training for job seekers
Coordination and development of the "Fit4DigitalFuture 2.0", "Future Skills Initiative" and "Basic Digital Skills" projects by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy. These projects provide jobseekers with basic IT, technical and behavioural skills to develop their digital literacy and autonomy.
15. Further development of the "Digital Academy"
Continued development of the "Digital Academy" of the Ministry of the Civil Service at the National Institute for Public Administration (INAP) in order to allow all state officials to pursue training to develop their digital skills. The aim is to offer officials assessments of their digital skills and to support them in their digitalisation by familiarising them with digital technology through training in the form of webinars and/or e-learning. INAP offers ICDL (International Certification in Digital Literacy) digital training courses for officials in preparatory and continuous training cycles.
16. Training for young job seekers
Support for young jobseekers by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy through the "Youth eAcademy" project. The project offers young jobseekers registered with ADEM the opportunity to autonomously strengthen the skills that they consider useful for the achievement of their professional career. ADEM gives young people under the age of 30 free access to the e-learning platform "Belearn". On this platform, candidates can choose to follow a range of digital training courses available in 5 languages.
Last update