Calling all digital enthusiasts!
As new technologies advance at breath-taking speed, the need for labour in the IT sector is soaring. More than ever before, employers are coveting IT talent. Currently, there are around 1,700 job vacancies in the digital sector in Luxembourg. To better meet this demand, the Grand Duchy has set up a modern training centre to develop IT skills at national level.
Where would we be in life without computers? They are ubiquitous and, without a doubt, facilitate our daily life. In fact, they have become an indispensable tool in our private and professional lives: from first thing in the morning when we make our coffee to when we drive our car or when we clock-in at work. Moreover, we use them for our online communications, checking bank accounts on the Internet and shopping in virtual shops. Software and algorithms follow our every move and shape the world we live in. In short, IT has literally embedded itself into our existence.
Urgent need for IT experts
A more computer-based society is bound to have a greater need for IT experts. This is where the challenge begins, because you have to find the developers with the right skills. The needs of companies have never been greater in terms of seeking new qualified professionals to respond to technological and digital challenges. At the end of 2022, about 4,288 IT vacancies were registered at the National Employment Agency (Adem). However, only 550 people were enrolled in this sector. Therefore, there are still numerous positions and opportunities for new professionals.
In terms of job creation in the IT sector, we observed a huge surge on the market between November 2017 and November 2022. 676 vacancies were registered in 2017 compared to 1,690 vacancies in 2022, i.e. an increase of 150%.
The sectors with the greatest demand and constant need for IT talent are the banking and finance industry, as well as consulting and auditing firms. In general, the profiles most sought-after by these companies are full-stack developers (IT/web/full-stack developers), IT engineers, business/BI/data analysts, IT project managers and IT administrators, according to the Adem.
DLH aims to reduce the skills gap
As we have observed, IT remains an attractive field, with a broad and diversified range of job opportunities. At present, the industry employs about 3,500 people and yet more developers need to be trained. This is where the Digital Learning Hub (DLH) and the Ecole42 (specialised in coding) come into the picture.
In many respects, these institutions were created in response to the growing demand for digital skills on the Luxembourg labour market. Located in the Terres Rouges building in Belval, the Digital Learning Hub is a continuing vocational training centre that focuses on creativity, autonomy and teamwork. It offers short training courses for people who want to learn more about the industry, improve their skills or change careers. The fields of expertise of the DLH are coding, cybersecurity, blockchain and Design Thinking.
It is currently spearheaded by the Ecole 42, which is the flagship of the DLH. The programme in this school, which welcomed its first students in September, is unique: it is open 24/7 and the students set their own schedule. In other words, participants learn to code without taking a course, without a teacher and, above all, without taking an exam. During the training courses, students have to help each other, which helps to foster teamwork. In fact, what seems like a completely absurd idea on the surface, works perfectly in reality. Ecole 42 is one of the best programming schools in the world.
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