New 1-Year DAP Programmes Expand Career Opportunities

On Monday 26 January 2026, Luxembourg’s Minister of National Education, Children and Youth, Claude Meisch, presented new one-year vocational training programmes leading to a vocational aptitude diploma (diplôme d’aptitude professionnelle, DAP), aimed at secondary school graduates and set to launch from the 2026/2027 school year.

The new programmes, known as “1re DAP”, were unveiled during a press conference attended by representatives of the Luxembourg’s Chamber of Employees, the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Trades and the Chamber of Agriculture, all of whom were involved in the development and implementation of the training.

According to the ministry, the 1re DAP programmes are open to holders of a classical or general secondary school leaving diploma, as well as to graduates with a technician diploma or equivalent. They target both newly graduated young people and those who have already begun higher education, offering the opportunity to pursue and deepen an interest in a specific profession while developing practical skills.

Within one year, participants can acquire the competencies required to practise a specific trade. The DAP provides direct access to the labour market and offers various progression opportunities, including technician training or higher technical studies. In craft professions, it also facilitates access to the master craftsman’s certificate. By combining a secondary school leaving diploma with a DAP, graduates can significantly expand their career prospects.

The programmes are also designed to respond to the needs of employers by enabling companies to recruit staff holding both a baccalaureate and a DAP. These profiles combine a complete school education with practical expertise, as well as solid organisational and management skills, allowing them to adapt to developments within their sector.

From the 2026/2027 school year, seven 1re DAP programmes will be offered: beautician, carpenter, machining mechanic, cook, qualified logistics manager, pastry chef-chocolatier-confectioner-ice-cream maker, and nursery gardener-landscaper. The range of programmes is expected to expand in the coming years.

Traditional DAP training usually lasts three years and includes both practical and technical modules related to the chosen profession, as well as general education modules. Students enrolled in a 1re DAP programme, having already obtained a secondary school leaving diploma, will be exempt from the general education modules and will focus fully on practical and technical training. The DAP awarded at the end of a 1re DAP programme meets the same quality standards and confers the same qualifications as the traditional DAP, including completion of the same final integrated project.

The pedagogical approach and content have been adapted for diploma holders able to follow intensive training. Depending on the programme, the weekly workload ranges between 35 and 40 hours and includes work placements in companies, allowing students to gain experience of real professional environments.

Courses will begin on 15 September 2026 and will take place at the National Centre for Continuing Vocational Training (CNFPC) in Esch-sur-Alzette or Ettelbruck, as well as at the Lycée Technique Agricole in Gilsdorf for the nursery gardener-landscaper programme. The CNFPC will work closely with the secondary schools offering the corresponding traditional DAP programmes.

According to the ministry, the 1re DAP programmes form part of the Shape Your Future initiative launched in 2025 to promote vocational training. An information campaign will begin in February, including information stands in secondary schools, participation in the Schoulfoire from 19 to 22 April 2026 at Luxexpo Luxembourg/Kirchberg, open days at the CNFPC in Esch-sur-Alzette and Ettelbruck on 7 July 2026, and at the Lycée Technique Agricole in Gilsdorf on 7 May 2026. Regional information sessions will also be held in Luxembourg City, Belval and Diekirch in March 2026.

Pre-registration opened on Monday 26 January 2026. Further information and registration forms are available at premiere-dap.men.lu. Interested persons may also contact the Vocational Training Service by email at premiere-dap@sfp.lu or by tel.: 24785-239.