Pilot Data Sheet

Lycée Technique Agricole Ettelbruck

Social Enterprise model

Local partnership and roles

Lycée Technique Agricole Ettelbruck

Public agricultural college
  • Coordination of the pilot
  • Assistance in recruitment
  • Organisation of off-site theoretical training
  • Coaching
  • Participant review
  • Post-training follow-up

Agence pour le Développement de l’Emploi

Public employment service
  • Participant identification and recruitment

Centre d’Orientation Socio-Professionnelle

Non-profit organisation with a reintegration mission
  • Assistance in recruitment
  • Organisation of the introduction to the training programme

Forum pour l’emploi

Non-profit organisation with a reintegration mission
  • Organisation of practical training
  • Coaching
  • Participant assessment

Service National de la Jeunesse

Public education service
  • Assistance in recruitment

Chambre d’Agriculture

The Chamber of Agriculture in Luxembourg
  • Post-training follow-up

Participants recruitement

Process

Recruitment is carried out by the Agence pour le développement de l’emploi (ADEM) in collaboration with the Service national de la jeunesse (SNJ) and the Lycée Technique Agricole (LTA).

ADEM has a database of all unemployed people. They inform candidates about training opportunities, and redirect those interested to the Centre d’Orientation Socio-Professionnelle (COSP). COSP and ADEM offers additional support to young people with disabilities, based upon an assessment of the greater obstacles to reintegration they might encounter.

Conditions for participation
  • The programme is open to young people aged 18-30
  • Identified low employability level
  • There are no minimum educational qualification requirement

Training Programme

Training schedule

The training lasts seven months and combines practical and theoretical elements.


The focus of the training is less on gardening (working with equipment and tools, developing an understanding of what gardening is) in itself and more on social skills (being on time at work, working eight hour days, working in a team, becoming autonomous,...).

  1. Two months introductory programme at COSP consisting :

    • Workshops on market gardening as a whole, agricultural practices, hygiene, administration
    • Language, job search, basic mathematics, communication support as individually required
  2. Intermediate evaluation in relation to individual motivation, undertaken by LTA in collaboration with COSP and Forum Pour l’Emploi (FPE).
  3. Five months with an employment contract at FPE in one of their agricultural social enterprise (“am Gaertchen”) comprising :
    • Practical courses by FPE
    • Theoretical courses in basic biology and market gardening by LTA

  4. Final assessment and accreditation by LTA
Coaching and assessment

During the first two months of the programme, COSP provides socio-educational and psychological support.


Thereafter, the FPE follows participants during the practical training and LTA does the same during the theoretical training.


In additional, participants’ progress in developing skills is measured and reviewed (skills are assessed each month of training through a questionnaire) - they are awarded a certificate upon completion.


The evaluation focuses more on the development of social skills (time management, attendance, teamwork, independence, etc) than on horticultural competencies.


Co-production

The training programme is co-produced with the involvement of individual participants, FPE, LTA, COSP, and ADEM.


At the start of each participant’s time on the programme, there is a meeting which explores exactly what they expect from the training, their wishes and aspirations and details of just how they want their participation to happen so that they feel safe and secure. The approach is rooted in a notion of developing deep, meaningful and positive relationships with participants - relationships based on mutual regard and appreciation and on developing self-esteem as well as skills and knowledge.


Participants are supported and encouraged to prepare themselves for their seven-month training programme at COSP and FPE through completing a questionnaire which is then constantly reevaluated over the entire training period. The questionnaire focusses on the participant’s work relation to colleagues and superiors and their intrinsic motivation to progress in their life as well as their job.


Towards the end of each participant’s time on the training programme, a meeting takes place where they are supported and encouraged to give their advice as to how to improve the training itself as well as to discuss their future plans, ambitions, fears and hopes.


Post-training opportunities

  • If the young person wants to continue working, the LTA and FPE organize her / him a practical or contract in a market gardening company
  • If s/he wants to undertake further study, this can be done by registering with LTA


For both post-training opportunities, the Chamber of Agriculture in Luxembourg is able to offer help to young people in the market gardening sector.

Funding and expenditure

Expenses are mainly related to
  • Preparation, piloting, supervision of the project
  • Supervision of young people
  • Managing relations with different partners
  • Administrative and financial management of the project
  • Operating costs
  • Salary costs for participants young people
Funding sources are
  • European Regional Development Fund
  • LTA, ADEM, COSP and FPE own resources