Submitted Abstract
The Luxembourg Tech School a.s.b.l. (LTS) is a virtual school concept that was created in September 2016 with the goal of promoting the development of “Future Digital Leaders”. A “Digital Leader” is someone capable of taking a business idea and, with the use of technology, transform it into a successful product or service, effectively creating value. Digital Leaders are fundamental to the development and implementation of national digital strategies.Information and Communications Technology (ICT) domains are evolving at an ever-increasing pace. This makes it difficult for school systems to constantly adapt and align with the current developments occurring in this sector.Moreover, there exists an important shortfall of qualified leaders in the ICT sector. In January 2017, the European Union ICT shortage was estimated at 500,000 jobs for 2020 (source: empirica, January 2017). Luxembourg is not an exception of this shortfall since, according to Eurostat data, 59% of Luxembourg businesses have difficulty recruiting IT profiles (source: Paperjam 25/02/2016) and Luxembourg is highlighted at risk of complacency.Last 2019 reports on the EU Digital Single Market are showing significant concerns in the educational system with shocking findings such as: “In fact, 79% of lower secondary school students, and 76% of upper secondary school students never or almost never engage in coding or programming at school” (source: 2nd Survey of Schools: ICT in Education, 14 March 2019).The initiative of LTS was designed to help overcome these challenges. LTS is tightly embedded in the national school system by offering an additional activity. This provides proximity to the students and allows them to evolve in a familiar environment. At LTS, we coach the younger generation and prepare them for the technological, financial and business realities of the world. LTS is aimed at every 13-19 years old student passionate about the digital realm and eager to learn and apply technology in a real business context.LTS has developed an innovative educational approach to teach with a purpose, using business and technology project-based learning. Students, of the last years of high school, are taking part in a first year 9-months and a second year 6-months program, each student receiving minimum 90h on business, technology, and soft skills.LTS has established 3 main objectives in the effort to support the sustainability and long-term development and implementation of Luxembourg’s digital strategies:• Develop “Future Digital Leaders” in technology, soft skills and business view.• Promote entrepreneurship, creativity, sustainability and innovation in a project-based learning environment.• Connect the “Future Digital Leaders” with key actors, industry, government and academia, using their LTS project performance results.By now, LTS has graduated 195 students.LTS has successfully expanded from 32 students in 3 public schools in 2016-2017, first year, to 110 students from 7 schools (plus students from 5 invited schools) in its fourth year, 2019-2020. These students are participating in the Level 1 program consisting of 3 modules; Game Development, Big Data and FinTech. At the same time, LTS has created a second-year level (Level Up) with two modules; Space Resources and AI for Finance and plans for 2019-2020 to create an additional module in AI Creativity and Art or in Cybersecurity (under decision at the moment). LTS Events are also expanding and this academic year (2019-2020) 9 events are planned, including Digital Creativity and Art and Game Development for highly talented kids. The LTS events are an integral part of the learning experience and allow the students demonstrate their product creations in front of business leaders and the society in general.