SKILL-UP Lebanon – Phase II

The waves of disruptions created by technological, demographic and climate change, migration, globalization, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other economic crisis, have made it increasingly complex to anticipate skills needs and to design skills development strategies. Businesses must constantly adapt to the ever-changing world of work, and workers and training providers must develop skills and skills-training programmes that remain market-relevant and address lifelong learning needs, in order to benefit from opportunities for social and economic progress.

The core challenge facing skills training systems in Lebanon is the need to better align skills supply with market demand. The programmes, curricula, and assessment methods at skills training centres have not been updated to meet new skills demands; this is, in part, due to the absence of mechanisms for regular engagement between skills training centers with employers and the private sector and communication of competencies in demand. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training National Strategic Framework (TVET NSF), launched in 2018, acknowledged this core challenge and identified a range of measures to be implemented to support a closer alignment between TVET and employers.

The socio-economic situation in Lebanon has grown more severe since the launch of the TVET NSF as a result of the multifaceted crisis in the country since October 2019 coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a dramatic rise in unemployment and heightened job insecurity.

To address these challenges, the ILO initiated a development cooperation project in Lebanon funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation under ILO-Norway Special Agreement. The partnership agreement contributes to rolling out the ILO Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning (GPSL3) that aims to provide coordinated and enhanced support to ILO constituents to develop and implement new generation skills and lifelong learning ecosystems for decent Future of Work.

The Lebanon component builds on ILO Lebanon’s strategy for skills interventions, which aims to improve the match between skills supply and market demand with a complete package of support, from labour market analysis, a competency-based approach to training, upgrading of skills through training, career orientation and post-training employment support.

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Skills supply is better aligned with labour market demand through a range of interventions
This outcome focuses on improving the availability and quality of labour market and education information, and developing and implementing skills training that models best practice in matching skills supply to market demand. This skills training pilot will be sector-specific and will reach a mix of jobseekers seeking to enter, or re-enter the labour market, and those in employment looking to upgrade their skills.

Outcome 2: Skills governance systems and management of TVET strengthened with greater private sector engagement
This outcome will strengthen the implementation of the Building Block 7 (BB7) of the TVET NSF “The involvement of employers; and workers’ representatives will improve the market relevance of training programmes” (BB7) by supporting the set-up of two Sector Skills Councils that will drive the TVET reform at sector levels. In addition, the ILO will strengthen the capacity of key stakeholders to improve testing and certification processes and accreditation system, in order (a) to ensure trainees are safe; (b) programmes delivered are of expected quality; (c) certificates can be trusted by employers.

Outcome 3: Model for entrepreneurship education is piloted and proposed for upscaling
This outcome focuses on mainstreaming entrepreneurship education through piloting the Know About Business (KAB) programme at the Directorate General of Vocational and Technical Education and Training (DG TVET) technical schools and strengthening their capacity to implement KAB.

Main Activities

• Conduct sectoral studies to identify skills in demand
• Conduct local level labour market assessments to identify new trainings in line with local demand
• Provide market-relevant non-formal training
• Design and deliver competency-based training courses
• Design and deliver pre-enrolment career orientation and post-training support services
• Train and certify national stakeholders and NGOs on post-training services
• Establish two Sector Skills Councils
• Build capacity of sector skills councils members, including on skills anticipation
• Upgrade testing and certification practices in close collaboration with TVET key stakeholders
• Improve management of accreditation system for private training providers in close collaboration with TVET key stakeholders
• Train TVET teachers and students on KAB programme

The Beneficiaries

• Hadi Mhanna speaks about his experience during advanced welding training programme implemented as part of Skill-Up Lebanon (Phase II) project – a joint effort of the ILO and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

• Khaled Malek Idriss speaks about his experience during industrial plumbing training programme, implemented as part of Skill-Up Lebanon (Phase II) project – a joint effort of the ILO and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

• Rania El Safsouf speaks about her experience during elderly home caregiving training programme implemented as part of Skill-Up Lebanon (Phase II) project – a joint effort of the ILO and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

• Kamar Sankari speaks about her experience during advanced welding training programme implemented as part of Skill-Up Lebanon (Phase II) project – a joint effort of the ILO and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

• Samira Najib Bitar, manager at a nursing home in Mina, Tripoli, speaks about the importance of the elderly caregiving training programme implemented as part of Skill-Up Lebanon (phase II) project – a joint effort of the ILO and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.