Summary

Starting 2025, CCIAS launched a program for training youth and professionals in CNC techniques. The South Business Incubation Center (South BIC) within the Chamber's Premises in Saida was equipped with CNC machines (Press brake, shearing machine and Lazer cutter ), offered by ICU - Italy within Tessa Project.

Description

 

Our vision, mission and objectives include:

Vision: Our vision at CCIAS is to be a driving force in transforming vocational education into a dynamic and inclusive pathway for individuals to achieve their fullest potential. We envision a future where vocational education is accessible to empower individuals  in the workforce and contribute to a prosperous society.

Mission: At CCIAS, our mission is to pioneer innovative approaches to vocational education that foster skill development, promote economic mobility, and enrich lives. We are committed to providing high-quality vocational training programs that are responsive to the evolving needs of industries, communities, and learners. Through collaboration and partnership with related parties, we strive to be a catalyst for positive change in vocational education and skill development.

Objectives:

Promote Access and Equity: We aim to expand access to vocational education and training opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds, ensuring equal access and opportunities for all.

Enhance Program Quality: We are dedicated to continuously improving the quality and relevance of our vocational education programs through rigorous curriculum development, innovative teaching methodologies, and ongoing evaluation and improvement processes.

Foster Industry Alignment: We seek to foster strong partnerships with industry stakeholders to ensure that our vocational education programs are aligned with current and emerging industry trends, standards, and demands.

Empower Learners: We are committed to empowering learners with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to succeed in the workforce and pursue their career aspirations. 

Support Career Development: We provide comprehensive support services, including career counseling, job placement assistance, and ongoing professional development opportunities, to help learners navigate their career paths and achieve their goals.

Drive Innovation: We embrace innovation and creativity in vocational education, exploring new technologies, pedagogical approaches, and partnerships to enhance learning outcomes and prepare learners for success in a rapidly changing world.

Promote Lifelong Learning: We promote a culture of lifelong learning, encouraging individuals to pursue continuous skill development and personal growth throughout their lives to adapt to changing industry demands and seize new opportunities.

Contribute to Economic Development: We recognize the critical role of vocational education in driving economic development and prosperity. By equipping individuals with relevant skills and competencies, we contribute to building a skilled workforce and fostering economic growth and competitiveness.

 

 

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TESSA PROJECT

The economic/financial, employment, political and social crisis in which Lebanon finds itself today has among its main causes the problem of energy: about half of the public debt (source: ISPI, 2020) has been generated over the decades by the unsustainable management of energy by the highly politicized public system, leading to Lebanon's financial default in 2019. The consequences in terms of inflation and rising poverty, unemployment (another major problem in Lebanon today), blockage of the political system, social protest and collective distrust are evident today.

Any development prospects for Lebanon must therefore necessarily include a sustainable solution to the energy problem. This initiative responds to the challenge of encouraging an energy transition that is itself a driver of real economic development, employment inclusion and environmental sustainability.

TESSA Project is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). AICS is responsible for supporting international initiatives that promote sustainable development, and the TESSA Project aligns with Italy's commitment to aiding Lebanon in energy transition, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

The project is implemented by ICU – Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria, in collaboration with local and international partners, ensuring a comprehensive approach to achieving its goals.

This initiative include:

Promoting the development of green businesses: precisely because the centralised energy management is unreliable and inefficient, green solutions are more promising; it is a question of supporting them in terms of better structuring, access to credit and growth.
Training of the necessary skills and professional profiles: paradoxically, there are companies that are looking for employees and cannot find them, and training centers that train people who cannot find any work.
The promotion of an enabling regulatory and institutional environment: in particular, policies in favour of green investments are needed (e.g. regulation of EPC-Energy Performance Contracting), in order also to foster a renewed relationship of trust at country level.

The initiative's partners are:

ICU: Lead CSO, with experience in development of productive activities and energy transition in Lebanon;
ELIS: CSO with experience in the activation of training-enterprise coordination mechanisms and sustainable job inclusion;
ENEA: Italian reference body in the field of energy transition, already present in Lebanon with projects in the energy sector;
LCEC: Lebanese reference body in the field of energy and main policy maker in the sector;
Berytech: Lebanese reference organisation in the field of business development, particularly for innovative businesses;
Fondation Diane: Lebanese organisation with experience in promoting entrepreneurship, particularly with a social impact;
Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon (FCCIAL): it is formed by Lebanese chambers of commerce and represents businesses at national level.

Through its partners, the initiative also involves other entities at a wider level. For example: Berytech collaborates with the main public and private financial institutions that are present in Lebanon and active in the financing of business development, LCEC already collaborates with the Italian Ministry of the Environment and a programme of financial facilities for the purchase of Italian green technologies is active, etc.

The three-year initiative aims to:

Raise awareness among 300 Lebanese companies on the advantages of green business and train 50 companies in the elaboration of their Green Business Plans (Result 1)
Accompanying 20 companies in the implementation of their Green Business Plan, through technical, managerial, legal, networking and credit assistance with lenders in Lebanon; economic support of the project to 10 Green Business Plans according to additionality and impact criteria (Result 2)
Support 3 training centres in the preparation of professional profiles needed for the development of green enterprises and in the formalisation of job placement mechanisms starting from the identification of companies’ needs of competences (Result 3)
Stimulate multi-stakeholder dialogue and the proposal of 3 guidelines for the improvement of policies in the areas of energy transition, business development and job placement (Result 4)

The expected impact is a significant contribution at country level to SDGs 7 (clean and affordable energy) and 8 (decent work and economic growth), thanks to the expected results of the initiative and thanks to the continuation of activities by local partners after the end of the project. Indeed, through the initiative, the local partners will have acquired a better methodology and capacity to cooperate between them) that are necessary to continue:

- For Result 1: Fondation Diane;

- For Result 2: Berytech;

- For Result 3: Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon (FCCIAL);

- For Result 4: LCEC and FCCIAL