The government has presented an ambitious plan to support young people
Eliott Reyna, Unsplash
On 16 December 2024, Luxembourg's Minister of Education, Childhood and Youth, Claude Meisch, presented the strategic priorities for public youth policy. The focus is on strengthening the role of young people, balancing digital and real life, improving access to housing and in-depth study of youth issues.
The Minister emphasised that today's young people face many personal and social challenges: choosing a career, transitioning to adulthood, finding a place to live. These challenges are compounded by global changes such as digitalisation and economic transformation. The ministry's policy orientated towards strengthening the resilience and autonomy of young people will be implemented under the motto Jonker staark machen ("Strengthening young people").
To this end, the Ministry will continue to develop youth houses and organisations across the country as spaces for non-formal learning, meetings and psychosocial support. These spaces will help young people develop practical, social and civic skills, complementing school education.
Among the main objectives is to create conditions for a balance between the digital world and real life. The Screen-Life-Balance programme will offer cultural, sporting and educational activities that promote the socialisation of young people. The ministry also presented plans to improve engagement with youth organisations through new structures such as annual Youth Sector Assemblies.
An important element of the programme is an in-depth study of the needs of young people. The annual Jugendbarometer report provides statistics on the state of young people in Luxembourg, and the next major Rapport jeunesse 2025 will focus on the impact of digitalisation.
One of the main challenges, according to the Minister, remains access to housing. Today, around 300 specialised housing projects for young people are available in Luxembourg. In 2025, the ministry, together with the Ministry of Housing, will launch the Jugendwunnen programme - new housing projects for young people aged 18 to 32. These projects are designed to help with the transition from school to professional life.
Claude Meisch emphasised the importance of coordination between all actors in the youth sector. Under the leadership of the National Youth Service (SNJ), eight areas of work were identified: creating meeting opportunities, developing leadership skills, getting involved in community projects, strengthening responsibility and providing support.
To improve dialogue with young people, regional gatherings will be held in 2025 where young people can communicate directly with the Minister and share their ideas.
