Beirut, Lebanon, 6 July 2023 – Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, and its Foundation have signed earlier this week, the executive agreement to establish the “Franco-Lebanese Campus de Métiers et des Qualifications” specialized in the energy field with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the French Ministry of Education and Youth. The project is being executed under the supervision of the French Ministry of National Education and Youth and will be implemented at IPNET Dekwaneh, IPNET Bir Hassan, and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik.
The partnership agreement was signed by H.E. Abbas El Halabi, Minister of Education and Higher Education, and Mohamed Samy, General Manager of the Levant Countries and Iraq at Schneider Electric, in the presence of Christine Szymankiewicz, Inspector General at the French Ministry of National Education and Youth; Lucien Helou, Attache for Cooperation Affairs; Eric Garnier, the educational expert at the General Directorate of Education and the Educational Center for Research and Development; Sanaa Hammoud, Project Coordinator; and Iman Assi, International Projects Coordinator at the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The project aims to build capacity through the training and institutional modernization of Lebanon’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in several specialist areas, including intelligent energy management, energy efficiency, building modeling (BIM), and others. It also contributes to bridging the gap between technical and vocational education and the needs of the local labor market and aims to graduate students who can work per the latest technologies offered by Schneider Electric. Over a period of three years, the company, through the Schneider Electric Foundation, will provide the latest technological solutions, expertise, and equipment to install technical laboratories and build students’ capabilities.
H.E. Abbas El-Halabi, Minister of Education and Higher Education, welcomed Schneider Electric and the French delegations, extending his appreciation to French authorities for their efforts throughout the project leading to the signing of the executive framework. He also expressed gratitude to the Schneider Electric Foundation for their commitment to the agreement and for providing the needed equipment and expertise, in collaboration with other partners, to enhance technical and vocational education and align it with the needs of the labor market. He explained “We are facing challenges in Lebanon that require the encouragement of more students to enroll in technical and vocational education institutions to boost the economy and enter the labor market. Under the agile supervision of Ms. Hanady Barry, General Manager of Technical and Vocational Education, the project will be implemented, to maximize the outcome across all vocational schools and institutions by outlining the required spaces, laboratories, and teams”.
Mohamed Samy, General Manager of the Levant Countries and Iraq at Schneider Electric, said “We are thrilled to have witnessed the signing of this significant agreement that aligns with our global strategy, which focuses on investing in human talents, especially in younger generations, as one of the main six pillars of our long-term sustainability commitments. At Schneider Electric, we are fully committed to the Lebanese market and we aim to further develop the skills of young people and students in Lebanon by enhancing vocational education. Driven by its firm belief in the importance of education and vocational training as a catalyst for technological, social, and entrepreneurial innovation aiming to reduce the energy divide and down move towards a fairer transition over the world, the Schneider Electric Foundation pledges to provide the necessary expertise and equipment to implement the agreement over the course of three years”.
The project contributes to the development of pedagogical engineering based on skill blocks, utilizing innovative approaches to update the implementation of existing TVET training programs, particularly at the technician and advanced technician levels. To enhance their learning experience and facilitate knowledge transfer to Lebanese students, a group of five teachers and trainers from the three project sites will stay in France for a while.
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