Apprenticeship in Luxembourg

Luxembourg has more than 160 initial vocational education programmes in public and private lycées, the CNFPC, approved companies, public institutions, foundations and ASBLs. The system is governed jointly by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth through the Service de la formation professionnelle, the employer chambers, and the Chambre des Salariés. National commissions involving schools and employers define occupational profiles, curricula and assessments. The régime concomitant combines work in a training company with vocational school, often with one to three school days per week. The régime mixte begins with full-time school and later moves into company training. The régime à plein temps is mainly school-based and includes at least 12 weeks of company practice. An apprenticeship gives the learner apprentice status and requires an apprenticeship contract. A stage gives the learner trainee status and is mainly school-based, so it does not have the same contractual position as an apprenticeship. The CCP usually takes two to three years and develops basic occupational and social skills. A person can often continue into a DAP in the same occupational field. The DAP usually takes three years and prepares for qualified work; it can be completed through an apprenticeship or a school-based pathway with at least 12 weeks of practical training. The DT usually takes four years and develops broader occupational and general skills. It can lead directly to employment, while access to higher technical studies requires passed preparation modules and an access certificate. A DAP or DT can also support later progression towards a Brevet de maîtrise. For minors, initial apprenticeship generally starts from age 15. School guidance after the fifth year of general secondary education considers achievement and interests, but it does not guarantee a training place. ADEM-OP, the BiZ-Beruffsinformatiounszentrum, SPOS, ALJ and the professional chambers help with career guidance and matching. Registration with ADEM is required before the contract is signed, including when the learner has found a company independently. Typical documents include school reports or recommendations, an identity or residence document and a social security card. Contracts are commonly concluded between 16 July and 1 November, while ADEM registration often runs from around Easter to October; yearly dates should be checked. A training company must be registered in the relevant commercial, industrial, agricultural or craft activity, have at least three years of relevant experience and offer an occupation covered by a grand-ducal regulation. The responsible professional chamber must approve the company for the first time. A tutor is required; an individual tutor must generally be at least 21, qualified and of good standing, and the training objectives must match the company’s actual activity. The apprenticeship contract must be written before work begins and is made in five copies. The apprentice is reported to the Centre commun de la sécurité sociale. The probationary period may last up to three months. Labour and young-worker protection, occupational safety, occupational medical examinations, health and maternity protection, protection against dismissal during incapacity for work and leave rules apply according to the relevant situation. After the contract ends, the relationship may continue through a fixed-term or open-ended employment contract. An extension to complete the qualification is usually limited to one year, with a possible second extension on request. Minors receive a legal monthly apprenticeship allowance paid by the training company. The amount depends on the occupation, training year or programme and the cost-of-living index. ADEM success bonuses are 130 euros per month for a CCP and 150 euros per month for a DAP or DT, including a cross-border apprenticeship; the application is due to ADEM by 1 July of the following year. Public lessons are generally free, although learners may have to pay for some teaching materials. A VAE, meaning validation of acquired experience, has an admissibility fee of 25 euros. Adult apprenticeship is available from age 18 for people who have spent at least 12 months outside initial school or initial apprenticeship and have at least 12 cumulative months of affiliation to the social security system. The person normally needs at least 16 hours per week and must be assessed and supported by ADEM-OP. The standard duration is three years, although an exception may shorten it; it may not be shorter than one year. It can lead to a CCP, DAP or DT and combines company practice with theory at a lycée or the CNFPC. It serves both employed people and jobseekers seeking a first qualification or a career change, rather than ordinary continuing education. Learning is organised through modules that combine occupational knowledge, skills and attitudes in realistic situations instead of only traditional school subjects. Regular assessment covers compulsory modules and, where available, catch-up or compensation modules. The mid-program integrated project, called PII, and the final integrated project, called PIF, test complex skills in a real or simulated occupational situation. Certification requires the PIF, compulsory modules and any required practical training. A conseil de classe may redirect a learner to another level or require an additional year. German has traditionally been the main teaching language. For 2026/27, French is offered in 40 DAP programmes and five DT programmes, while English is offered in eight DAP and three DT programmes. CCP programmes may use German or French according to need. English-language provision is not available across the entire system, so the language requirements of the chosen curriculum need to be checked. A cross-border apprenticeship combines practical training in a Luxembourg training company with theory at an approved school in the Greater Region and is available in more than 150 occupations. It requires prior approval from the responsible ministry and registration with the relevant employer chamber and the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. The Luxembourg minimum apprenticeship allowance applies to the practical training, but the pathway does not lead to a Luxembourg occupational qualification and therefore cannot receive validation through VAE as a Luxembourg qualification. The new 1re DAP programme starts in the 2026/27 school year. It is open to people with a classical or general secondary school leaving diploma, a DT or an equivalent qualification. The one-year programme runs for about 35 to 40 hours per week, focuses on practical and technical skills, includes company placements and leads to a regular DAP. Initial fields include aesthetician, carpenter, cutting machine operator, cook, warehouse operator, pastry, confectionery and ice-cream maker, and garden and landscape designer. MENJE and the CNFPC sites in Esch-sur-Alzette and Ettelbruck, together with other locations, provide the programme. Non-formal activities can prepare people for training but do not automatically equal a CCP, DAP or DT. CNFPC, COSP and Jobelo may provide career guidance, practical trials, remedial learning, requalification or preparation for entry into apprenticeship. Jobelo is aimed at people aged 18 to 29, requires ADEM registration and combines COSP, company-based experience and a CAE-agrément where applicable. Informal experience normally becomes formally useful through VAE; it does not produce a diploma without a formal assessment and certification.