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Electrico-technical Training Schools - Seeds of Hope

3_1_4 Sector: Vocational Training 
Location: Lebanon (Adma, Fanar, Tyr, Saida and Beirut)                                                        
Local Partners: Foyer de la Providence, Cortbawi Institute, Jabal Amel Technical School, Amlieh Technical School, Osseiran Foundation , Institut Pédagogique National de l'Enseignement Technique et Professionel (IPNET)
Start of Partnership: 2007

 

Context and Considerations

In Lebanon, technical vocational schools fail to answer the needs of the companies which are supposed to hire their students after graduation. Deprived of the necessary qualifications, young graduates struggle to find proper jobs. Besides, some professional sectors with employment opportunities (such as electro-technical industry) are suffering from a lack of qualified professionals, which hinders their growth. It is therefore necessary to modernize the vocational training frame and curricula by establishing closer links between the business sphere and the vocational schools.

Solution Proposed

IECD has developed a training programme in order to enhance the professional integration of Lebanese youth. This programme was based on an analysis of both the companies’ and the young graduates’ needs and it enjoys the support of the Schneider Electric Foundation . The project strengthens the pedagogical and technical means of 10 professional partner schools which are specialized in electro-technical training.


The program has 4 main objectives:

-   Strengthen the existing training frame and propose a new electro-technical diploma after having identified the skills the companies require.
-   Equip the partner vocational training centres with the necessary technical and didactical material.
-   Strengthen the teachers’ and trainers’ technical and pedagogical capacities, done in cooperation with business professionals.
-   Promote structured and long-term partnerships between the training centres and the electro-technical companies.

The lasting commitment of several French institutions (Académie de Paris, Jean Baptiste de la Salle - Notre-Dame de la Compassion School and Lycée technique Saint-Nicolas) has been mobilized and they contribute their pedagogical and technical know-how to the project.

Impact and Results

- The new curricula for the technical baccalaureate specialised in electro-technical industry has been officially recognised by the Lebanese Ministry of Education;
- 50 trainers have received a training regarding the Competence-Based Approach;
- Modern technical equipments are installed in partner schools;
- An internship system has been established to strengthen the links between the partner schools and companies (Summer 2010: 100 students involved in structured internships);
- A national seminar was organised in October in Beirut in order to enhance industrial vocational training throughout Lebanon.

Next Steps

Implementing the new curriculum on a national level; Including new schools and companies in the project; Supporting the creation of job counselling offices in the schools; Improving the image of technical vocational training throughout Lebanon.