The non-profit wants to equate master craftsman’s certificates with bachelor diplomas, as they believe this would be an important incentive to increase the number of people opting for an artisanal career. Furthermore, AMELUX intends to stand in for the interests of teachers in the sector, regardless of whether they are employees or civil servants.
A statement from the non-profit notes that masters in craft and trade no longer carry the weight they deserve. By consequence, fewer people decide to even take the final exams of their apprenticeship. AMELUX therefore has concrete demands, says president and teacher Christian Turk: “I think once we equate craftsman’s certificates with bachelor diplomas, young people will gain a new perspective on achieving the highest goal in their craft. If the title has a proper value, then they will want to achieve it and make a career out of it.”
According to EU qualification standards, a master craftsman’s exam has to classified as “level 6", which is the same as a bachelor degree. However, in Luxembourg, the exam is only classified as “level 5", says Turk: “If we compare the standards expected in a master craftsman’s exam and those in a bachelor degree, I believe we can agree that they are the same.”
A shortage of qualified people also shows in the teaching department, which is why AMELUX wants to allow more master craftsmen to enter teaching, even though this may be a challenging position: “Aside from knowing their trade inside out, they will have to be able to educate younger people. This means conducting additional training themselves, because there is also the danger of working with machines and carrying responsibility over their handling.”
AMELUX representatives thus argue that craft and trade need to be valorised again, and that it is the responsibility of the government to do so.
