Launched in 2020, CSP’s internship program, in collaboration with the USAID-funded University Scholarship Program (USP) and Higher Education Capacity Development Program (HECD), provides students from 11 Lebanese universities the opportunity to gain professional and practical experience to start their careers and generate a temporary income to support their families during the current economic crisis.

By September 2023, CSP had placed 173 students and recent graduates in internships across 12 USAID-funded programs in Lebanon, allowing them to enrich their technical and soft skills and enhance their employability, while providing them with much-needed financial support during worsening economic crisis. Following the completion of their internships, 70 graduates have already secured full-time jobs in the private sector and at USAID-funded projects.

On September 29, 2023, CSP held its third stakeholder ‘pause-and-reflect’ session with 25 representatives from 11 partner universities and nine USAID implementing partners. The session focused on sharing the internship program’s achievements and discussing its suggested institutional and financial sustainability mechanisms following CSP’s planned close-out in July 2024.

“This is an interesting session on the sustainability of this impactful program and the importance of our collaboration. I believe a third party should continue leading on the implementation of the program”, said Joanne Doumit, Director of the Career Center and Alumni at La Sagesse University.