Sven Baltes, Director of Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg, explains how the organisation equips young people with entrepreneurial skills through hands-on programmes, addressing today’s digital and global challenges. Focus on education and youth empowerment.
Can you present Jonk Entrepreneuren in a few words?
Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg is a non-profit organisation dedicated to preparing young people for the world of work by promoting entrepreneurial and financial education. We offer a wide range of practical, hands-on programmes for students aged 9 to 25, covering every stage of their education. Our mission is to develop key competencies such as creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, and initiative, which are essential for success in today’s fast-changing world. Through close collaboration with professionals from the business community, students benefit from authentic experiences and valuable insights into real-life economic contexts. These exchanges inspire young people, stimulate their curiosity and build their confidence. As a member of JA Europe and JA Worldwide, we are proud to be part of the world’s largest network for entrepreneurial education, which reaches over 12 million students each year across more than 100 countries.
How are your programs evolving to meet today’s digital and global challenges?
We continuously adapt and evolve our programmes to keep pace with the ever-changing global landscape. In today’s world, topics like digital transformation, sustainability, innovation, and global interconnectedness are more important than ever, and we make sure to increasingly integrate these themes into our educational offerings. Our focus lies in equipping students with essential future-ready skills such as adaptability, creative problem-solving, digital literacy, financial awareness, and entrepreneurial thinking. We go beyond traditional classroom learning by offering experiences that challenge students to work on real-life problems, interact directly with business professionals, and present their solutions to panels of experts. Through collaborations with international networks and leading companies in Luxembourg and beyond, we ensure our approach remains relevant, practical, and impactful. At the heart of it all is our mission to empower young people to thrive in a complex and fast-evolving global economy.
What sets Luxembourg’s startup culture apart—and what could it still learn from others?
Jonk Entrepreneuren’s goal is not to directly create startups or traditional companies but to equip young people with essential skills for success, whether as entrepreneurs or employees. Luxembourg’s startup ecosystem benefits from international connections, local support structures, and funding opportunities, particularly at the seed stage. However, there is room for cultural growth, particularly in embracing risk, learning from failure, and fostering entrepreneurial mindsets earlier on. At Jonk Entrepreneuren, we aim to continue integrating entrepreneurship into education and society. One way we envision this is by strengthening ties with the business world, such as better aligning JEL programmes with Luxembourg’s economic landscape and hosting sessions during key national events, allowing young people to create relevant touchpoints early on. To cultivate a thriving startup culture and socioeconomic landscape, we must invest in young talent and nurture their ideas and essential skill sets from an early age.
