An initial apprenticeship is aimed at young people who want to learn a profession.
Depending on the profession, the training can be carried out:
- in concomitant mode: practical learning takes place at the company and the theoretical part (one to three days per week) takes place in a high school;
- in mixed mode: during the first year of training, vocational training is done full-time at school. It is only after having passed this school year that the training continues in the form of an apprenticeship contract;
- in full-time mode: the training is done entirely at school, with periods of internship.
Successful completion of the training leads to a Diploma of Technician (DT), Diploma of Professional Aptitude (DAP) or a Certificate of Professional Ability (CCP).
During the apprenticeship period, the employer pays the apprentice an apprenticeship allowance fixed by Grand-ducal regulation. This allowance is adapted according to changes in cost-of-living index.
Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship year, the Apprenticeship Fund will grant apprentices a training premium of 130 € (in the event of a Certificat de Capacité professionnelle) or 150 € (in the event of a DAP, DT and cross-border) per month of training.
These grants are awarded per year of apprenticeship. They are settled by the Employment Fund on the basis of an application by the trainee with the National Employment Agency (ADEM).
To be able to follow an apprenticeship you must:
- be at least 15 years old;
- be in possession of a promotional decision granting access to an apprenticeship.
The normal duration of the training is 3 years. It may be extended if not all modules required by the training program have been successfully accomplished within due time.