Four young individuals, Nour Meselmani, Yasser Shkeir, Imtihal Halalo, and Taha Taha, share several commonalities. They reside in Lebanon but come from different nationalities including Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. Despite graduating, all four of them have been unable to secure employment due to the ongoing economic and political turmoil in Lebanon. Additionally, they pursued majors in university that they did not enjoy and are seeking a second chance to start anew. “Finding a job opportunity as a physics graduate was a challenging task for me, and I have always been searching for a career path that truly resonates with me,” said Nour Meselmani.

“We are living through one of the world’s worst crises, and we are doing our best to give new opportunities to the young people in Lebanon,” said Yvona Nehme, Programs and Community Coordinator at SE Factory. Lebanon is currently facing its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, resulting in hyperinflation for 31 months in a row. The country’s inflation rate hit 124% in January, with prices skyrocketing for various essentials such as communication, education, health, restaurants, hotels, food, water, and energy. The crisis has also led to a surge in unemployment, with over 50% of the population falling below the poverty line. The World Bank has ranked Lebanon’s crisis among the worst financial crises since the mid-19th century.

Yasser and Taha share an unwavering ambition and a vision for a brighter future. In their pursuit of skills that would equip them for whatever might come their way, they enrolled in the tech bootcamp offered by SPARK, which recently launched in Lebanon in partnership with SE Factory under the Skills Training Education Programme (STEP), financed by The Islamic Development Bank and Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Foundation. Two out of the planned five bootcamps during the prorgamme cycle have been completed successfully, resulting in the employment of 24 graduates by companies in various countries, including Lebanon, France, UAE, and Canada.

The bootcamps offer practical digital skills training, job-specific training, and networking opportunities to empower youth in Lebanon with employable skills and soft skills development. It provided a flexible and accessible alternative to traditional education and allow participants to work on their projects, receive assessments from trainers and mentors, and potentially secure job opportunities or partnerships. Moreover, the programme integrated mock-up interviews and soft skills training to enhance participants’ interview performance, which usually followed up with alumni graduates to track their career journey.

“It’s more than a bootcamp,” says Taha, “it boosts your skills and knowledge and unleashes your capabilities to be a professional needed in the labor market.” This partnership involved organizing five bootcamps from September 2022 to August 2023, aiming to train 90 youth and secure employment for at least 45. Taha and Yasser were among the 40 enrolled in the second bootcamp, both of whom landed new jobs. Yasser started working remotely as a Full Stack Developer with a French company, while Taha began his career as a Junior Full Stack Developer. Yasser adds, “It’s been a long journey filled with lots of code, caffeine, and late nights, but I am so proud to have reached this milestone.”

“It was a unique opportunity,” Imtihal explained. “It would empower me as a woman and increase my independence.” SE Factory has taken measures to enhance the program further, including updating the curriculum and hiring an additional soft skills instructor to increase employment opportunities for graduates, leading to sustainable employment and strong communities. With their newly acquired skills and a sense of newfound independence, the graduates are eager to take on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.