Paris Olympics Roundtable Discusses Professionalisation of Luxembourg Sport

In the context of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Luxembourg's Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with the ADEM employment agency and the Ministry of Sport, organised a roundtable on "Professional opportunities in the sports sector: Pathways and challenges" at the Maison du Luxembourg in the Stade Jean Bouin stadium in Paris on Monday 5 August 2024.

As reported by the Ministry of Labour and ADEM, this event brought together more than 50 participants, all of whom have a connection to the ongoing professionalisation of the sports sector in Luxembourg. This includes members of sports federations, entrepreneurs whose activity is linked to sport, employees of the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Sport, ADEM and INAPS, as well as members of Luxembourg trade unions.

The roundtable panel was composed of Georges Mischo, Luxembourg's Minister of Labour and Minister of Sport, Isabelle Schlesser, Director of ADEM, Charles Stelmes, Director of INAPS, Laurent Carnol, Deputy Technical Director of COSL, Léon Diederich, General Coordinator of the Ministry of Research and Higher Education, and Fabien Ziuli, CEO of Cap4Lab Group and an entrepreneur involved in the world of sport in Luxembourg. They discussed the major issues related to sports professions in Luxembourg, sharing their experiences and proposing concrete solutions to overcome current challenges.

In order to lay the foundations for the discussion and to have a framework to best define the sports economy, the RETEL employment observatory and STATEC unveiled a new study carried out specifically for the event on Monday, during which its main points were presented.

According to the Labour Ministry and ADEM, the first thing that emerges from this study is that the output of the sports economy in the national GDP is higher than the share of sports employment in national employment. This means that the sports economy is not labour-intensive in Luxembourg. This is believed to be for two main reasons: the majority of clubs and federations operate in amateur mode and Luxembourg does not have mass sports tourism that would employ a larger amount of labour.

The share of employment in the sports economy in national employment remained at 0.9% between 2016 and 2022. Over this period, employment in the sports economy showed roughly the same growth rate as national employment. The main employers in the sports economy are the management of sports infrastructure and clubs and federations, which represented 56% of total sports employment in 2022.

Administrative data from the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS) were also analysed. These figures show that 62% of employees in the sports sector are men (1,385 men) and that 48% of employees are cross-border workers. The sports economy was also found to be quite young, with 54% of employees under 40 years old.

The ADEM figures were also analysed for the occasion: in 2023, 175 positions for sports professions were declared to ADEM.

Isabelle Schlesser deemed this study important and said it lays the necessary foundations for ADEM to intensify its analysis of the sports sector. As only 18% of vacancies in the sports sector were declared to ADEM in 2023, she took the opportunity to launch an appeal to all recruiters active in this field: "The more employers declare their vacancies to ADEM, the more we can analyse the market and therefore the demands and criteria in terms of personnel needs. This is how we will be able to adapt our services and broaden our avenues to best meet the needs of this sector." ADEM is also set to strengthen its analysis of internal data both in terms of declared offers and jobseekers in order to explore the various professional opportunities offered by the sports sector.

The ADEM Director also took the opportunity to announce two new "Jobdays" that will be organised in 2025 by ADEM's Employer Service: a "Jobday" dedicated to sports professions that will bring together sports companies, organisations, federations, etc. which are recruiting, as well as jobseekers who match the profiles sought. Another recruitment event, inspired by an initiative already adopted by France Travail, will also be proposed, namely a "Jobday" based on a "recruitment through sport" method, which will allow recruiters from a targeted sector (not related to sport) to meet in a stadium or on a sports field with candidates registered with ADEM around a sports morning followed by mini job interviews.

The ministry and ADEM added that the skills and values ​​related to sports were at the heart of the discussions between the various speakers on Monday. Unanimously, the panel agreed on the fact that many essential skills in the sports environment are totally in line with the skills most often requested on the job market: adaptability, team spirit, motivation and commitment, among others.

They added that it was "clear" that the sports sector would attract more talent by becoming more professional - and these talents may already be found among the jobseekers registered with ADEM. However, for certain sports professions, specific skills, certificates, training or diplomas are required. By analysing the needs, ADEM and INAPS are expected to be able to develop training plans for jobseekers wishing to orient their professional career in sports professions and requiring additional training provided by INAPS.

Minister Mischo stressed that the professionalisation of the sports sector in Luxembourg is essential for its sustainable development and success: "We are committed to professionalising club structures and promoting training and recognition of sports professions through clear standards. Through targeted measures, we want to increase the importance of the sports sector in society and highlight its positive effects on health and social cohesion. A continuous study and evaluation of the current sports landscape are essential. Together, with all stakeholders in sports, we aim for a prosperous and sustainable Luxembourg sports sector."

Laying the foundations for increased professionalisation of the sports sector, through strengthened collaboration between all participants, was therefore the leitmotif of this event and the conclusion of the roundtable, the ministry and ADEM said.