Creating opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship

Lebanon is currently going through a multifaceted economic crisis; over two years, the currency has lost more than 90% of its value and this has had a devastating impact on both jobseekers and micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Thousands of businesses have had to shut down, wrecking the livelihood of thousands of families.

The project Tafawoq - Opportunities for Employment aims to improve income for jobseekers and MSEs. This will be accomplished by implementing two interventions that target the supply and demand side of the labour market.

A training programme to guide youth in finding (self-)employment

The first intervention of the Tafawoq project is the Coaching for Employment and Entrepreneurship (C4EE) Training Programme. It consists of various modules that teach participants key employability skills and help them develop a career plan for the profession they are interested in. Coaches at partner organisations assist the young people to be able to navigate the labour market. Throughout the coaching cycle, youth are also given access to employment office services such as connecting them with micro and small businesses, finding available job opportunities, and job application services. The following video illustrates the mechanism of the youth employment support.

Facilitating access to resources and new markets for MSEs

The second intervention targets MSEs through a Business Solutions Centre. The centre offers various solutions and services that help MSEs access new markets and improve productivity. One of the services is an online platform entitled Naaam, through which member MSEs are able to offer their professional services such as carpentry or electrical work. The Business Centre supports the MSEs in setting them up on the service platform. Watch the below video to learn more:

These two interventions address the two sides of the labour market. On the one hand, the C4EE training is a supply-driven activity with the goal to increase the availability of qualified professionals. The Business Centre, on the other hand, is a demand-driven initiative with the aim of helping MSEs improve their performance and hire more workers. The training programme and the platform combined will create opportunities for employment.

The Tafawoq project is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA).