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 by placing them in internships across 12 USAID-funded projects. The program helps students and fresh graduates start their careers and generate a temporary income to support their families during the current economic crisis.

From February-July 2023, Tarek Harb, a Communication Arts/Radio and Television graduate from the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) was placed at CSP as a digital media intern. During his internship, Tarek supported the project’s communications team in social media management, content writing, and digital archiving while gaining hands-on experience in targeted communications campaigns and digital media in the development sector.

In August 2023, two months after successfully completing his six-month internship, Tarek was hired as a full-time Academic Assistant in the Communications Department at the ‘Olayan School of Business’ at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Tarek is one of 200 interns that have completed CSP’s internship program, 73 of whom found full-time jobs, including 10 currently employed at USAID-funded projects in Beirut. It is worth noting that 64% of these interns are women, despite the fact that female participation in the Lebanese workforce stands at 37%.

“Thanks to my USAID experience, I gained the confidence to identify my career direction and apply for this position at AUB. My acquired communication skills from this internship provided me with a competitive advantage in securing the job. Amid this continuous economic crisis, this job finally offered me stability and enabled me to support myself and my family”, said Tarek.