30 years, 30+ stories: Lebanon, building resilience through career guidance

Political instability, an economic downturn and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have compounded the difficulties of hosting the world's largest per capita refugee population. The explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020 exacerbated these challenges, leading to inflation rates of over 200% and a 98% devaluation of the Lebanese pound. Public services, particularly education and training, have suffered immensely, with more than one million children out of school by 2023. Despite these and new challenges, Lebanon remains a country of immense potential, with its education and training systems at the forefront of efforts to support resilience, recovery and development.

Simona Rinaldi, human capital development expert and country liaison for Lebanon at the ETF, underlines the importance of supporting Lebanon at this critical time.

'Lebanon's multiple challenges are as immense as its potential. Together with international partners, the ETF is committed to supporting the development of education and training systems that can empower its people, strengthen social cohesion and pave the way for recovery and a brighter future,' said Rinaldi.

Lebanon is actively involved in the Torino Process, a participatory analysis of education and training systems and policies, contributing to ongoing and future policy reforms in this area. The latest report from 2023 highlighted that initial VET is more accessible but struggles with attractiveness due to societal perceptions that it is less valuable than academic education, while continuing VET is underdeveloped with limited funding and support.

The ETF's initiatives also include supporting the Ministry of Labour in improving the transition from school to work and developing employers surveys. It is also working with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to implement career guidance activities and strengthen the role of career counsellors in public schools both in general education and in TVET.

Leila Emerson, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Lebanon, explains that the ETF has been working with the EU Delegation and Lebanese stakeholders to train teachers in career guidance so that they can guide students more effectively. 'The role of career guidance is crucial in addressing Lebanon's education and labour market challenges,' she highlights. 

'The activities in this dimension involved training teachers from across Lebanon in career guidance and equipping them with the skills to train other teachers. The training was face-to-face and accompanied by other support materials for teachers and schools,' explains Emerson.

These activities, carried out in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, are in line with the EU's New Agenda for the Mediterranean, which emphasises youth empowerment and the integration of education and private sector engagement. 

'While significant progress has been made,' says Emerson, 'career guidance and counselling in Lebanon remains fragmented and under-resourced. A more coordinated strategy is needed to address gaps, integrate innovative tools and foster long-term collaboration between government agencies, NGOs and the private sector.'

Overall, the system lacks the tools needed to understand the problems associated with the transition from education to work. And limited career guidance for students is one of the main reasons for high dropout rates.

Emerson points to the importance of public-private partnerships, digital platforms and expanded career guidance centres to address Lebanon's multiple challenges, including the needs of displaced populations. 'To meet the country's needs, future career guidance efforts must focus on empowering displaced and conflict-affected populations, addressing the mismatch between education and labour market needs, and promoting job creation through self-employment and entrepreneurship,' she adds. Emerson also stresses that career guidance is key to addressing Lebanon's high dropout rates and bridging the gap between education and labour market needs.

Hilda El Khoury, Director of the Counselling and Guidance Department at the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education, praises the cooperation with the ETF.

'Working with the ETF has been transformative,' she said. 'Together we have piloted career guidance programmes in 20 public schools, using European standards to shape curricula and equip students with digital and green skills. We see these guidelines as really important to improve learners’ quality and workforce readiness for the future.' 

El Khoury acknowledges that high inflation brought severe financial constraints on teachers and education infrastructure, but emphasises the resilience of the entire Lebanese education community. She highlights the potential of expanding career guidance initiatives and integrating them into vocational training systems as a crucial step towards creating stronger links between education and employment.

The road ahead for Lebanon's education and training systems is fraught with challenges, but also ripe with opportunities. For example, adult learning has been supported by various EU-funded livelihood and entrepreneurship projects in Lebanon, but Emerson also stresses the need for coordinated, scalable initiatives. 'Short-term projects need to give way to sustainable, system-wide reforms,' she says, citing the potential of using social development centres to expand adult education and career guidance in a country where key infrastructure such as the National Employment Office (NEO) has seen its capacity reduced, underscoring the difficulty of maintaining robust services in Lebanon's fragile socio-economic environment.

'However, we are seeing a promising shift towards more integrated and scalable solutions, such as the ILO's development of a coaching manual and referral system through the EU-funded ENABLE project,' adds Emerson. 'By leveraging Lebanon's extensive social development centres, this approach could provide a stronger foundation for reaching underserved communities and aligning adult education and career guidance with broader socio-economic recovery goals.'

Strengthening cooperation between Lebanese stakeholders, the ETF and the EU is crucial to unlocking the transformative power of education and training in building a resilient and sustainable future for the country. The commitment of people to these goals is already there, as demonstrated last year when the Waste-Tackling School project, developed by the Aley Mixed Intermeditate Public School near Mount Lebanon, a 20-minute drive from Beirut, won the ETF's Green Skills Award 2023.

Rinaldi sees a future where the ETF's work will continue to strengthen the resilience and responsiveness of Lebanon's education and labour market systems: 'We are committed to supporting Lebanon to build a more inclusive, equitable and skilled workforce that helps its citizens navigate the challenges they face with confidence and hope.' 

Finally, El Khoury reflects on the indomitable spirit of the Lebanese people. 'Education is our path to resilience, we don't have any other choice. I believe we are a community that survives and dreams. It is through education that we find the strength to rebuild and the hope to thrive.'