Lifelong learning

General information

Lifelong learning or "Lifelong education and training" covers:

"All learning activity undertaken throughout life, which results in improving knowledge, know-how, skills, competences and/or qualifications for personal, social and/or professional reasons."

^{Source: Cedefop, Glossary: Quality in Education and Training, 2011}

These activities take place both within and outside of education and training systems.

Education and initial training

The Luxembourg school system

In Luxembourg, school is compulsory between the ages of 4 and 16. It comprises a minimum of 12 years divided between primary education and post-primary education.

Primary education comprises four cycles including preschool and primary for children aged between 4 and 11.

Then comes the time to choose a direction, a profession and the training required. You become a secondary education pupil or an apprentice in the Luxembourg school system.

Post-primary education comprises two streams:

• classical secondary education with studies lasting for 7 years and leading to a Classical Secondary School Leaving Diploma (diplôme de fin d'études secondaires classiques - DFESC) which prepare the student for university studies;
• general secondary education, which includes different training regimes lasting 6 to 8 years depending on the path chosen:
• Technical scheme (General Secondary School Leaving Diploma - diplôme de fin d'études secondaires générales - DFESG)
• Technician's training (Technician's Diploma - Diplôme de technicien - DT)
• Initial vocational training (Vocational Aptitude Diploma - Diplôme d'aptitude professionnelle - DAP)
• Basic vocational training (Vocational Capacity Certificate - Certificat de capacité professionnelle - CCP)

Higher education groups access to the Master Craftsmanship (Brevet de maîtrise), Higher Technician Certificate (Brevet de technicien supérieur - BTS) or to a University Diploma (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate).

The Luxembourgish education system is principally defined by its multilingual tradition, in which language teaching occupies a central role.

Vocational training and training for adults are both embedded in the lifelong-learning framework.

• The goal of vocational training is either to guide pupils towards a vocational qualification delivered by a technical secondary school, or to help people already holding a vocational qualification to adapt or extend this qualification to the needs of changing developments and the economy.
• Adult training offers education suitable for adult learners, whether as part of continuing vocational training, general interest courses or courses to prepare for national diplomas and certificates.

Lifelong learning

Working life

During your career, new training may prove to be essential for

• gaining new skills linked to your job,
• facilitating your access or return to work,
• developing within or outside your company,
• giving a new direction to your career,
• gaining a qualification, etc.

Develop your skills with lifelong-learning.lu

Retirement

Finally, when you retire, which means putting an end to working life, training contributes to personal fulfilment.

Retired people still seek stimulation of the mind and may want to explore the numerous opportunities available to them to continue their learning.

Search by training domain: languages, art, IT...

Lifelong learning is comprised of the above stages.

In this context, both public and private Luxembourg initiatives come together to build a system which offers uninterrupted quality education and training from childhood to retirement.