The Emile Metz private secondary school is set to expand from its current site in Dommeldange, with a new campus in Differdange to open in September 2023.

Differdange mayor Christiane Brassel-Rausch praised the decision, saying it was the right spot for the right school. The Lycée's new site will offer training and apprenticeships in industrial careers, as befitting the new site in the former industrial city.

Neien LPEM-Site zu Déifferdeng / Reportage Maxime Gillen

Starting in September 2023, 60 pupils will be able to undertake vocational training in Differdange. The school will offer diplomas in computer science (four years), mechanics (three years), electrical technology (three years) as well as a preparatory class. All courses will be available in English.

The school's director, Pascal Thill, said the courses were specially tailored and were expected to meet with success:

"We are convinced that there is immense potential in the training that we would like to offer to young people in Differdange and the surrounding area."

Thill added that the school was scouting out new locations for further sites and planned to install a new container building at the Differdange campus for 2024.

Minister of Education Claude Meisch commented that the increased vocational training in the industrial sector would contribute to the formation of qualified labour in the sector:

"Luxembourg is still an industrial country, and one of the obstacles for industry to develop in this country is simply that there is not enough labour. That is why I think if we want to give the industry in Luxembourg a chance, then we also have to train more young people in this field. The Lycée Emile Metz has much experience in this and has also continued to develop as a MINT school, for natural sciences and technologies to help motivate young people to go into these less popular areas."

The renovation and construction work will be financed in a first phase by the municipality of Differdance, but will then be fully compensated by the government. The project is estimated to cost around 4 million euros.

In 2025, construction will start on a permanent building in Differdange in order to expand the school's capacity from 470 to 700 pupils.