The Institut national pour le développement de la formation professionnelle continue (INFPC, National Institute for the Development of Continuing Vocational Training) is a public institution that comes under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.
As the central body for information and key actor in respect of lifelong learning, the INFPC informs and supports businesses and individuals in their training-related procedures.
It is also a favoured point of contact for training providers and institutions that are active in the field of lifelong learning.
Its activities focus on three main areas:
- managing and hosting lifelong-learning.lu, the national portal for lifelong learning;
- preparing analysis documents of training plans, and informing businesses that apply for financial aid from the State for training;
- carrying out monitoring and development work regarding continuing training through the Observatoire de la formation (Training Observatory).
The lifelong-learning.lu portal
lifelong-learning.lu, the national lifelong learning portal provides access to more than 10,000 courses that cover all sectors of Luxembourg’s economic activity. 300 member training providers feed into this training course search engine. It is aimed at employees, job seekers, human resource professionals, people responsible for training, career guidance and employment professionals etc.
In addition to the search engine, lifelong-learning.lu provides rich editorial content: training aids, alternative routes for accessing diplomas, validation of acquired experience (VAE), events, legislation, latest news etc.
Cofunding of in-company training
Private-sector companies established in Luxembourg, can get training aid equal to 15 % (taxable) of the amount invested each year. The State’s financial contribution is 20 % (taxable) of the amount for the salary costs of participants who meet the following criteria on the date that the training scheme starts:
- no recognised diploma and less than 10 years’ service in the company;
- a recognised diploma and more than 10 years’ service in the company and aged over 45.
The INFPC provides assistance to companies who wish to apply for cofunding.
The Observatoire de la formation (Training Observatory)
The Observatoire de la formation conducts studies and provides expertise to support decision-makers in both the public and private sectors to anticipate economic changes and to guide their training and employment policies. Its work covers:
- companies’ training practices;
- the continuing training offer;
- young people’s job prospects after school, though the Transition from school to working life (TEVA) study;
- producing reports and articles intended for Cedefop within the framework of the ReferNet facility.