The demand for digital skills has never been so high in Europe, and particularly in Luxembourg. A few weeks after the launch of the “European Year of Skills 2023” by European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, the Prime Minister and Minister for Communications and Media, Xavier Bettel, announced the launch of the new digitalskills.lu platform at a press conference on 5 June 2023 at the Foyer européen.
As new technologies accelerate, the gap between available digital skills and labour market needs is widening. The government, the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Crafts are keenly aware of this reality and have joined forces to form the “Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Luxembourg” (Digital Coalition) in 2019. The aim of this national coalition, which is a continuation of an initiative led by the European Commission, is to bring together all the country’s digital skills key actors and, in particular, to promote projects in this area.
With over 60 active members from the public and private sectors, the Digital Coalition focuses on sharing information on a wide range of topics, including Upskilling and Reskilling, Skills in AI, Digital skills in non-tech sectors, Space technologies: jobs and skills, etc.
We have updated its “digitalskills.lu” platform in the context of the “European Year of Skills 2023”. From now on, this platform aims to be a genuine central point bringing together all information relative to digital skills in Luxembourg and Europe. The platform offers a variety of content, including training opportunities and the latest news and events relating to digital skills. In addition, this tool is directly linked to the initiatives of the EU member states thanks to an interoperability system with the European “Digital Skills and Jobs Platform“.
“Today, the government’s commitment to developing the digital skills of our society is more important than ever. For the development of information and communication technologies and other sectors contributing to tomorrow’s modern society to remain assured, a sufficient presence of skilled labour must be guaranteed,” emphasises Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister and Minister for Communications and the Media. “I welcome the solutions proposed by the Digital Coalition through the new “digitalskills.lu” platform, which not only meets the need for access to information on training in the digital sector, but also allows businesses to participate actively, and even pro-actively, in a large range of national European initiatives in the field of digital skills”.
Anne Calteux, the European Commission’s representative in Luxembourg, welcomes Luxembourg’s initiative, which “fits in perfectly with the objective of the European Year of Skills, namely that 80% of Europeans should have at least basic digital skills by 2030, compared with 54% today. We also need to match the skills of employees with the needs of employers, working closely with the social partners and businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to address labour shortages in the EU and Luxembourg”.
Isabelle Schlesser, Director of ADEM, confirms that “ADEM has been a member of the Digital Coalition from the outset. Digital skills are among the most sought-after skills on the job market. That’s why ADEM, together with its partners, is continuing to develop its range of digital skills training courses for job seekers.
According to Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce, “digital skills are essential for improving decision-making, increasing productivity while reducing costs and securing production in businesses. To do this, we need managers and employees who are well-trained in digitalisation. We must continue our efforts, in particular, to further integrate digital technology into businesses and public services, and thus enable the country to rank among the best in the race to digitise. The “digitalskills.lu” platform is a key tool to help us in this process.”
Tom Wirion, Director General of the Chamber of Trades, emphasises the importance of digital skills training for craft businesses: “The pandemic has clearly shown us that the most digitally advanced businesses have not only proved resilient, but many of them have even been able to acquire new markets. One of the ways in which the craft industry, across all sectors, can remain competitive and attractive while guaranteeing stable jobs in Luxembourg, is through digitalisation. The Chamber of Trades is delighted that the new “digitalskills.lu” platform has been set up to provide businesses with the tools they need to develop their digital skills and practices.”