BTS Luxembourg

BTS Luxembourg 2-year technical higher education diploma program.

Description

The Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS) is a two-year higher education program (BAC+2) similar to the American associate degree (AS). It has a diversified curriculum including technical, management and language studies. The graduates of this BTS have such opportunities as working as a project manager for electricity network operators, industrial production equipment manufacturers and installers of electrical heating and ventilation systems. During the 4 semester program, the students of the BTS-GT (Genié Technique) get valuable work experience due to the Internship program which includes on-site project management in the final phase.

History

The first year of the BTS GT program began in the year 2010. It lasts 4 semesters, so in the year 2012 the first students completed the final year projects with success. The current, graduating class will be the 6th. The founding purpose of this program was to prepare students for the world of work in 4 semesters.

Employment opportunities for graduates

Employment opportunities can be at any company in the technical domain but especially those which are familiar with the BTS-GT studies and who offered internships in the past. For most employers BTS students are attractive because they have more practical experience and are more economic than three-year bachelor graduates. A majority of the graduates of the BTS program are employed in the sectors of electricity generation and distribution; passenger and freight railways plus steel and steel-making equipment.

Examples of employment opportunities are:

(Paul Wurth SA. CFL Génie technique, CFL Trains et Matériel., ArcelorMittal Bissen, Entreprise des P&T, a+p Kieffer omnitec, Creos/Enovos, Ceratools, Pont & Chaussées, Felgen & Associés, CM Attert, Global Facilities, Luxcontrol, Soclair Equipements, m3 architectes, Cimalux, HT Lux, Löffler)

External Links: http://www.ltam.lu/index.php?menu=361&page=505&portal=31

Internships

The BTS program is organized with an internship in each of the two years in collaboration with several enterprises from the technical sector. Each internship lasts 6 weeks and the company provides feedback for the evaluation of the intern. The first internship provides an overall view of the company's functions and the intern learn how to contribute in that specific environment. The second internship is managing a project and is a major component of the coursework for the diploma.

The period of the internship begins after the exams at the end of the first year. The intern should learn and understand the various functions in a company. The students must learn the key areas of the enterprise, incorporate the values of the enterprise, acquaint themselves with the functioning of the firm and its different departments and workflow. They should also understand the legal regulations for the industry, understand the movement of information throughout the enterprise and acquire professional social skills to integrate in the workforce and to establish clear communication with their co-workers.

Areas of study

The largest part of this program is technical in various areas comprising mechanical engineering, physics and renewable energy. Further technical areas include electronics, IT (Information Technology) and CAD courses (Computer Aided Drawings). Students also study project management and business communications including the foreign languages English, German and French. The program also covers civil engineering which are focused on buildings' systems (insulation, heating/cooling and plumbing systems). In addition, students learn about the energy efficiency of buildings and become qualified to issue certification for them. The BTS-GT program is designed to ensure the graduates are able to communicate effectively between the engineer and the worker.

Further studies

After finishing the BTS program, there currently is the possibility to apply for a "license professionnelle" in France, which is recognized as an equivalent to a bachelor's degree. For those who choose not to go directly to university, the BTS program may be a good choice to get a better foundation for further studies, as it also gives you a "ready for work degree" in case the student chooses not to go further.

Facilities

The facilities of the BTS program located in the building of the Lycée technique des Arts et Métiers in Luxembourg city. There is an electronics laboratory with multimeters and breadboards for creating experimental circuits. Each student is assigned a desktop PC with professional software including LabVIEW for handling remote sensor data, AutoCAD for 2-D and Solidworks and Inventor for 3-D mechanical design.