Youth Committee studies a new project to train and employ 2400 young people

Within the framework of creating new work opportunities for Lebanese youth, the Youth and Sports Parliamentary Committee, headed by MP Simon Abi Ramia, held yesterday a new meeting to study the report recently prepared by the Ministry of Labor in collaboration with the World Bank, regarding the launching of the Youth First Job project.
The proposed project will aim to train some 2400 young man and woman, under the supervision of the National Employment Office, who will subsequently be hired by private enterprises. According to the project the Lebanese government will provide an incentive to these enterprises by covering their contributions to the social security fund for a period of 2 years, according to the following ratios: 100% during the first year, two thirds during the first half of the second year and one third during the last. In addition, the Lebanese government is expected to pump LBP 10 billions during 5 years, while the WB provides USD 1.2 million in funding for managing of the project.
Following the meeting, Abi Ramia commented the project, pointing out that although it will not resolve the overall unemployment issue in Lebanon, it should be considered a prototype project that will ease the problem. He added by saying that 22 different queries were raised by the participating parliamentarians regarding the project, to which the Ministry of Labor will be responding in time for the next meeting.
Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Nahar 31 October 2013