"Empower to Employ" workshop by LUCC;
Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
The Luxembourg-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce (LUCC) has launched the Empower to Employ initiative with the support of the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+).
The initiative is designed to support Ukrainians under temporary protection in Luxembourg. It aims to facilitate their integration into the local job market through personalised guidance, group training sessions, mentorship opportunities and legal assistance, as outlined on the official LUCC project page.
Іn an interview with Chronicle.lu, LUCC President Evgenia Paliy shared how the project first came to life: “When the war began, we, as a non-profit organisation working in the B2B [business-to-business] sector with access to company contacts, asked ourselves how we could help Ukrainians. We started volunteering and helping Ukrainians find jobs—all on a voluntary basis. [...] Since we had already developed tools, understood how the process works, how people collaborate and what the needs are, we explained our approach and received a grant from the Luxembourg Ministry of Labour to support Ukrainians.”
In addition, two years have passed and Ukrainians have grown in knowledge, including language skills. The interest in and possibilities for employment are shifting—from lower-skilled or low-paid jobs to more professional roles in fields such as finance, IT and audit,” added Evgenia Paliy.
The programme runs over a two-year period and is divided into four cycles. Each participant can select the cycle that best fits their schedule: Cycle 1 (January – June 2025), Cycle 2 (July – December 2025), Cycle 3 (January – June 2026) and Cycle 4 (July – December 2026).
Each cycle includes workshops on market orientation, job search strategies and employment law, as well as coaching sessions with experts from six key sectors, focusing on relevant skills, industry trends and job market requirements. Participants also receive personalised support through one-on-one guidance for CV, cover letter and LinkedIn profile optimisation, career counselling tailored to their individual goals and mentorship from local professionals to gain industry insights and expand their professional networks.
”People are applying for any available positions, even entry-level roles, despite previously having worked as CEOs or managers. Naturally, the employer’s psychology often prevents them from even considering such candidates for an interview. That’s why we explain the need to adapt one’s CV and be prepared to start from lower levels. You can’t expect to immediately secure the same position you held in Ukraine if you lack a European education, local language skills or professional experience in this country. That’s why our project is so important—especially in helping people mentally adjust to understanding the labour market and what HR professionals are really looking for,” explained Evgenia Paliy.
Empower to Employ is specifically tailored to meet the needs of individuals seeking to integrate into Luxembourg’s labour market. The programme is open to:
– Ukrainians under temporary protection in Luxembourg;
– jobseekers with at least A2-level proficiency in English or French;
– individuals aiming to build careers in sectors such as IT, finance, hospitality, management, legal services and others.
”The broader the CV, the less chance there is of being invited to an interview. Here, a CV needs to be highly specialised and clearly aligned with the job description. We advise candidates to consider creating two or three separate CVs tailored to different sectors, because every HR manager or recruiter is scanning for specific keywords that match the vacancy. If those keywords aren’t there, the CV simply gets filtered out,” concluded Evgenia Paliy.
Registration for candidates is available via the following link: https://e2e.lucc.lu/for-employees
