Digital Skilling for Employment in Lebanon

pipeline

Since 2020, the World Bank has been working with the Beirut Digital District’s Forward MENA NGO on the Skilling Up Lebanon (SUL) initiative (P176444 and P169918). SUL is an innovative and private sector-led skills development intervention supporting youth in Lebanon in accessing affordable market-relevant digital skills and employment opportunities. Till date, the SUL umbrella initiative has implemented various youth-targeted activities, reaching more than 11,000 youth across Lebanon. In 2021, under the SUL, the World Bank partnered with UNICEF to implement the “Enhancing Youth Employment in the 21st Century Digital Economy” project, financed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ Opportunity Fund. The project developed a unique and innovative labor market platform, Nammiskills (NS, www.nammiskills.org), that aims to accompany youth aged 17-35, including vulnerable and refugees, through a learning and employment journey. Building on the momentum and positive impact of SUL, this proposed project aims to: (1) enhance the access to market relevant digital skills, linked to employment opportunities through scaling up the offering and reach of the NS platform; and, (ii) improve access to employment opportunities in the digital and tech sectors amongst poor and vulnerable Lebanese youth through microwork opportunities. The total grant received for the proposed project is USD$3,870,000, and combines two grants and sources of financing: USD$2,050,000 from PROSPECTS and US$1,820,000 from JSFD grant.