HECD Semi-Annual Progress Report: October 2020 - March 2021

Despite the ongoing challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Lebanon's financial crisis, HECD achieved several key milestones. The development, submission, and approval of the HECD Year 2 Work Plan was a notable achievement. This process involved a participatory planning conference attended by five Higher Education Institution (HEI) partners, which served as a valuable input to the Year 2 work plan. The Year 2 HEI capacity building topics will include university-employer engagement, career center enhancement, integrated data management, alumni tracking, online learning instruction, grant writing systems, job readiness skills, work-based learning, women's empowerment, and entrepreneurship. HECD expanded its partnership with new HEI partners, signing Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with three new institutions: Antonine University, Beirut Arab University, and La Sagesse University. These new partners conducted institutional maturity baseline assessments and engaged in capacity-building webinars, training of trainer events, and coaching sessions provided by international experts from EDC and FSU. As a result, HECD is now working with ten universities. The Work Ready Now (WRN) life skills and employability skills program was adapted and leveled to the Lebanese context. EDC delivered a second virtual five-day Work Ready Now Training of Trainer workshop, which prepared 32 instructors to teach the semester course. This program was initially designed for face-to-face delivery but was adapted to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions. HECD facilitated a virtual peer-learning roundtable with WRN instructors from five HEIs. This event served as an important feedback space between HEI instructors and HECD program specialists. WRN instructors shared their experiences teaching the activity-based course for the first time during the Fall 2020 semester, and discussed students' feedback engagement, virtual learning assignments, and work-based learning experiences. The HECD Semi-Annual Progress Report highlights the main achievements during program implementation while addressing operational challenges caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the deepening economic downturn across the country. Despite these challenges, HECD has made significant progress in expanding program implementation, developing the Year 2 Work Plan, and adapting the Work Ready Now program to the Lebanese context.