Give the Future Generation a Taste for Craftsmanship

In Luxembourg, the National Observatory for School Quality has pointed out that guidance should start at an early age. From the point of view of the craft industry, for example, more and more sectors are experiencing a lack of qualified labour. The political authorities and the various ministerial bodies, as well as interested parties, are trying to counteract this phenomenon with numerous actions.

In the field of education, particularly in primary education, there is the Hallo Handwierk project. It is the result of a cooperation between national administrations and the Chamber of Crafts.

The Hallo Handwierk project aims to promote the various craft professions amongst pupils in the last year of primary school. Within the framework of this project, a thematic week is organised in a number of primary schools. At the end of that week, a representative of the crafts industry visits the class to present his or her job to the pupils. The children use school materials which were developed by a group of teachers together with craftsmen.

The purpose of this project is to encourage children to explore the world of crafts. This is done, on the one hand, through school subjects such as mathematics, languages and sciences and, on the other hand, through the experience of craftsmen attending classes and practising their activity with the children.

The thematic weeks focus on:

• rooftops
• mechanics
• fashion, health, hygiene

The success of the project inspired the Chamber of Crafts and Trades to create a game about the crafts’ sector that is accessible to all.