Abelrahman Al Bardan is a scholarship recipient benefiting from USAID’s workforce development component through the Community Support Program (CSP). He specialized in Building Electricity at Al-Abir Technical Institute in Tripoli – one of CSP’s 13 private Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) partners. Before learning about this scholarship opportunity, Abdelrahman had to drop out of school and pursue daily work to financially support his family who lost all their savings and were no longer able to pay tuition fees amidst the nationwide economic crisis. However, he re-enrolled to continue his studies after receiving CSP’s TVET scholarship and, despite juggling school and work, he earned second place across Lebanon on the official Professional Brevet (BP2) exams in his specialty for the academic year 2021-2022. As part of his scholarship requirements, Abdelrahman was placed in an internship at a company that installs solar systems where he later landed a full-time job.

USAID CSP’s workforce development component is designed to improve the employability skills and increase job opportunities for Lebanese students from underserved communities. To this end, it improves the curricula of TVET institutions, and provides scholarships and internship opportunities to individuals seeking an education in sectors with growth potential in Lebanon. In addition to tuition fees, the scholarship covers medical insurance, transportation costs, and an internship, as well as provides recipients with a tablet/laptop to facilitate their learning. Since 2020, USAID/CSP provided more than 800 scholarships across Lebanon’s Beqaa, North, and South regions.

“This scholarship saved my life and enabled me to access a productive future. I was struggling with depression and hopelessness; however, I now have a decent career and can finally support myself and my family”, said Abelrahman.