Training plan
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Continuing vocational training covers any actions within the framework of the company's activities that are aimed at adapting, retraining or promoting employees.
The company's training plan is therefore a key element. Its objective is to optimise the implementation of training courses by determining the specific training requirements of the company and planning, where possible, the required training topics for the coming year, as a minimum.
The training plan is presented in the form of a contractual document which binds the different parties concerned. Developing a training plan consists of various stages which must be logically linked, whilst allowing for a certain amount of flexibility in order to keep the possibility of integrating training requirements in the course of the year as they may not have been identified at the time the training plan was developed.
Who is concerned
Various parties are involved in the development of the training plan:
- the employer, who is responsible for defining and developing the training policy. If the size of the company allows for it, the employer can hand over the development, implementation and follow-up of the training plan to a training manager;
- internal trainers, i.e. employees designated within the company to lead internal training courses;
- the staff delegation;
Prerequisites
Employees who will benefit from training must be:
- affiliated with Luxembourg social security;
- employed by a company established in Luxembourg and have an employment contract.
How to proceed
Setting up a training plan
Identification of needs
When an employer decides to set up a training plan, they must first carry out an analysis of the training needs and the skill sets in their business.
In order to do this, the employer can choose multiple tools, which they can use depending on the available means (time, budget, staff). These tools are specifically:
- skills gap analysis;
- analysis of evaluation forms;
- direct observation in the workplace;
- self-assessment tools;
- formal and informal interviews, etc.
Once the analysis has been completed, the employer has sufficient information to highlight the gaps between the skills currently available within the company and those that will be needed in the short or long term to implement the company's strategy. These gaps can then be filled either through training projects (involving the individuals concerned and the relevant budgets) or through external recruitment.
Categorising and consolidating the requirements
The employer must sort all the information gathered and structure the training requirements into 7 project categories:
- languages;
- IT/office automation;
- technique/profession;
- management/HR;
- finance/accounting/law;
- quality/ISO/safety;
- adapting to the workplace (new job, transfer).
Other categories, such as the priorities set out in the company's training policy (e.g. the importance of focusing on technical courses, etc.), may supplement the categorisation provided by the National Institute for the Development of Continuing Vocational Training (INFPC) and enable the employer to make certain cross-references.
Ultimately, consolidating requirements will enable employers to allocate training budgets in a logical and effective manner.
Developing the plan
The training plan is presented as a table with two columns, listing the various training activities horizontally and the following headings vertically, which must be included if the employer wishes to benefit from co-financing of their training investments:
- the training objectives (i.e. setting out requirements in terms of new skills expected);
- the duration and scheduling of the training plan;
- the budget allocated for the training plan;
- the staff delegation's opinion;
- any information provided by the employer regarding continuing professional development for employees of companies with fewer than 15 employees.
The plan must be updated after the first year of implementation to align it with available resources.
Budget
To establish the training budget, the employer must take several key factors into consideration and define the following elements:
- the criteria to be applied: the number of training days and/or the maximum training cost per employee;
- the budget: pre-defined budget (compared to the previous year) or drawing up the budget according to the requirements identified;
- the costs: registration fees, work time, travel and accommodation, etc.
Whatever the estimated budget, the employer should compare the overall cost of the training activities with the advantages gained for their organisation. This is referred to as a return on investment for training activities.
Training plan
Once the budget has been estimated, the employer can complete the training plan and finalise the training calendar.
While doing this, the employer must take into account the different business constraints, such as:
- the usual holiday periods;
- the requirements in terms of workload;
- the availability of trainers, etc.
Approval of the training plan
Before implementation, the training plan must be submitted to the staff delegation for their opinion.
If there is no reply within one month, the training plan is deemed to be approved.
If the company has fewer than 15 employees, the employer must inform all employees at least 15 working days before the plan is implemented.
If the human resources department is responsible for the training plan, it must be submitted to the company's management for approval. In fact, the more the training policy is supported by the management, the more efficiently the training plan can be implemented.
Implementation of the training plan
Training organisation procedures
Once the training plan has been approved, the employer defines the organisational arrangements for the training, such as:
- selecting the trainers. There are several types:
- internal trainers: members of staff who provide training to the employees of the company where they work and thereby become an occasional trainer;
- external trainers: these are service providers who deliver training courses within the company or at external premises. At this stage, the employer must launch a tendering procedure. Several types of external trainers exist, such as:
- continuing vocational training institutes: approved training providers, whose head office is located in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or who have ministerial approval to run a continuing vocational training institute;
- training suppliers: companies who supply equipment and/or services and provide training concerning said equipment or services. Given that training is not their main activity they are exempted from the business permit requirement for training services;
- trainers from the parent company: must be considered as external trainers. This is due to the fact they are not employees of the company applying for co-financing;
- self-directed training: this is an individual learning method that can be applied to various training topics. Self-directed training includes e-learning, i.e. electronic training which uses information and communication technologies;
- the logistical aspects (location, accommodation, etc.);
- the choice of language;
- the choice of the structure of the courses (educational objectives), etc.
Communicating the training plan
Communication between the different parties concerned is important throughout the training process.
Once the training plan has been validated and implementation methods established, the employer must make an official announcement to all members of staff.
The training plan can be communicated through various media, such as:
- the company's Intranet;
- internal mail or email;
- a billboard campaign;
- information sessions, etc.
Evaluation of the plan
The evaluation of the training plan and the training content allows the employer to measure whether the training objectives were reached. By attributing a value to the different elements of the programme, such as content, techniques or trainers, the employer is able to take certain decisions regarding current or future training plans.
The value of training may be measured as followed:
- determine the degree of satisfaction of the participants with regard to the training provided by using a questionnaire to be completed at the end of the training session;
- observe whether or not the training course had the desired effect with regard to the participant (for example, during the employee assessment interview);
- analyse the improvements shown by specific indicators, such as the rate of absence, etc.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
National Institute for the Development of Continuing Vocational Training (INFPC)
- Address:
- Building CUBUS C2 - 2, rue Peternelchen L-2370 Howald Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+ 352) 46 96 12 1
- Fax:
- (+ 352) 46 96 20
- Email address:
- infpc@infpc.lu
- Website:
- http://www.infpc.lu
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
lifelong-learning.lu
The National Portal for Lifelong Learning
-
National Institute for the Development of Continuing Vocational Training (INFPC)
Website
-
Continuing vocational training
on the website of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENEJ)
Legal references
- Code du travail, Livre IV, Titre I
- Code du travail, Livre IV, Titre II
- Code du travail, Livre V, Titre IV, Chapitre V
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Loi modifiée du 22 juin 1999
ayant pour objet 1. le soutien et le développement de la formation professionnelle continue; 2. la modification de la loi modifiée du 28 décembre 1988 réglementant l'accès aux professions d'artisan, de commerçant, d'industriel ainsi qu'à certaines professions libérales
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Loi modifiée du 23 juillet 2015
portant réforme du dialogue social à l'intérieur des entreprises et modifiant le Code du travail et la loi modifiée du 19 décembre 2002 concernant le Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés ainsi que la comptabilité et les comptes annuels des entreprises
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Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 22 janvier 2009
pris en exécution de 1. la section 2 du chapitre II du titre IV du Livre V du Code du Travail 2. la loi modifiée du 28 décembre 1988 réglementant l'accès aux professions d'artisan, de commerçant, d'industriel ainsi qu'à certaines professions libérales
