Training center for wood industry in Zghorta

In cooperation with the Lebanese ministry of industry, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) launched on Monday the ‘vocational training center for wood industries’ at the Zghorta Public Technical Institute’. The opening took place under the auspices of minister, Hussein Haj Hassan, and the presence of Japanese Ambassador to Lebanon, Masahiro Yamagyshi, as well as a group of concerned parties.  To note, UNIDO and the Directorate for Vocational and Technical Education have rehabilitated the center, which is considered first of its kind in North Lebanon in promoting exchange of knowledge in the field of furniture manufacture. The center’s aims are:  provision of top-notch equipment needed for the development of skills for carpentry technicians; an upgrade of educational curricula with a focus on various topics, like for example, learning about the basic raw materials and machinery used in the industry; guidance and instruction on the ABCs of safety and health involved in the wood industry, and the application of innovative methods and modus operandi to achieve all the above. As a result, around 100 young men and women beneficiaries will take part in 4-month training course, at the end of which they will receive official certificates. On the occasion, UNIDO representative, Cristiano Pasini, said: “Today, we are laying the grounds for a long-term contribution and cooperation to achieve sustainable livelihoods, capacity building and skills development in the furniture sector,” adding, this is necessary to facilitate the country’s comprehensive industrialization process. Through this center, Pasini stated, “we not only extend technical assistance, but also support the cultivation of youth skills through targeted programs that will increases the prospects of their employment.” (Al Mustaqbal, May 25, 2017)