Provision of Certified Accelerated Vocational Training for Youth in the Litani River Basin

The project was implemented within the EU-funded Local Development Programme along the Litani River Basin, an integrated initiative designed to contribute to stability in Lebanon by promoting local development and strengthening the socio-economic resilience of communities along the river basin.

Its territorial scope covered nine Unions of Municipalities: Baalbeck, West Baalbeck, Zahle, East Zahle, Central Bekaa, Plain, Lake, Tyre and Chqif. The intervention took place during a period of severe economic and operational pressure. The financial crisis, currency depreciation, inflation and steep increases in fuel and transport costs affected institutions, businesses and households.

Public and private training centres also faced recurrent electricity shortages, limited operating resources, gaps in equipment and unreliable internet access, while security tensions later created additional disruption in southern areas. Within this setting, vocational education and training represented a practical channel for supporting youth employability and local development. The project worked through Lebanon’s TVET ecosystem, in coordination with the Council for Development and Reconstruction – Economic and Social Fund for Development, the General Directorate of TVET, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, municipalities, training centres, local enterprises and other organisations active in the region.

Young people in the Litani River Basin faced limited access to employment and self-employment opportunities, while the local labour market required a combination of occupational competence, digital and language skills, communication abilities and practical workplace experience.

School dropouts, TVET students and university students needed shorter, employment-oriented pathways that could connect learning more directly with emerging local demand. The central challenge was therefore not only to deliver technical training, but to build a complete pathway from selection and skills development to recognised certification and workplace exposure. The programme had to respond to differences in educational background and English proficiency, maintain participation across dispersed territories, and align the selected occupational areas with local labour-market needs.

Implementation also required continuous adaptation. Rising transport and centre operating costs, insufficient computers and connectivity, trainee withdrawals and security-related disruption threatened continuity. These conditions made accessibility, flexibility, close monitoring and cooperation with public institutions and local stakeholders essential to keeping the programme viable.

The project aimed to improve youth employability by strengthening occupational and soft skills and facilitating access to the labour market through internships and potential job opportunities.

It selected 180 trainees, organised in ten groups, and combined certified training with practical experience. The target group included young women and men, school dropouts, TVET students and university students living in the participating Unions of Municipalities. Soft skills combined 80 hours of English technical language and 80 hours of computer literacy for each group, followed by communication skills training.

Occupational modules covered industrial maintenance, international gastronomy, cheese production, local food marketing and export procedures, and web and application development. Each trainee was expected to complete a 100-hour internship with a relevant enterprise, linking classroom learning to real working environments. Before training began, the project mapped related initiatives, assessed training centres, updated the applicant database, organised local inception and visibility meetings, interviewed candidates and used an English placement test to shape groups and learning support. Training materials included syllabi, presentations, booklets, handouts and practical consumables, with accredited examinations and certificates integrated into the programme.

The methodology combined labour-market relevance, transparent selection and active stakeholder engagement.

Training centres were assessed against technical and general criteria, with proximity to trainees and suitability for each module taken into account. Candidates were selected through agreed criteria covering age, residence, motivation, educational profile, social situation and language level. Trainers and coordinators were recruited through documented terms of reference, shortlisting, interviews and comparative assessment.

Delivery used an integrated and practical pedagogical approach. English groups were adjusted according to placement-test results; occupational trainers acted as facilitators and emphasised active application; communication training ran in parallel with internships. Online delivery was used when circumstances required it, including during Ramadan and later security disruptions, supported by virtual classrooms, recorded sessions and technical follow-up. Where computer labs were not adequately equipped, computers, networking support and internet access were arranged.

Project governance relied on frequent coordination and evidence-based monitoring. Bi-weekly consortium meetings, weekly operational meetings, trainer and coordinator follow-up, training weekly reports, attendance records, shared documentation and continuous communication with trainees allowed issues to be addressed quickly. Stakeholders, including ESFD, GDTVET, TVET centres, municipalities, internship providers and local organisations, supported outreach, facilities, regulatory coordination and internship opportunities.

The programme completed the planned soft-skills, occupational-skills, communication and internship phases for ten groups. Of the 180 trainees, 82.5% obtained technical-skills certification from an international specialised training institution, while 86% obtained accredited certification in English language and computer literacy.

Communication-skills certification reached 73%, and 87% completed the required 100-hour internship. The training model gave participants recognised occupational and soft-skills credentials across five fields linked to local economic activity. Work placements connected trainees with enterprises and enabled them to test their abilities in real work settings. The project strengthened cooperation among public authorities, TVET centres, municipalities, training providers and businesses across the Litani River Basin.

Evaluation used a 360-degree approach involving trainees, partners and other stakeholders. Feedback highlighted the relevance of the accelerated training to participants’ lives, careers and future plans, as well as positive views of trainers’ competence, teaching methods and support. Continuous assessment also enabled corrective action, including second examination opportunities for eligible ICDL candidates and adapted delivery arrangements when operational or security conditions changed.

The project showed that resilience and adaptability are fundamental when delivering vocational training in a volatile environment. Continuous communication with public institutions and local stakeholders, flexible scheduling, alternative delivery modes, practical monitoring tools and rapid operational problem-solving helped protect continuity and results despite financial, infrastructure and security constraints.

Extend technical-English training beyond a conventional two-month period so that learners have more time to practise, retain and apply language skills. Provide structured post-training support, including mentoring, business-planning guidance and access to financial support, to help trainees translate skills into sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives. Ensure equitable access to computers and other learning resources so that technical and digital skills can be practised outside scheduled sessions.

Continue targeted mentoring and motivation to increase the participation of young women in technical fields traditionally dominated by men. Strengthen TVET centres through more reliable and sustainable energy solutions, improved equipment and closer public-private cooperation, while promoting the role of TVET in employment and local development. These lessons point to a replicable model built around market-responsive modules, accredited learning, workplace experience, local institutional ownership and adaptive management.

Future initiatives can reinforce sustainability by combining training with post-course employment and entrepreneurship support and by investing in the long-term capacity of the TVET centres that serve local communities.