​INJAZ Lebanon was thus created in 2001 as a non-profit educational organization dedicated to educating youth about career readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. It is an affiliate of both INJAZ Al-ARAB, which reaches out to 14 countries in the Middle East, and Junior Achievement Worldwide, one of the largest educational organizations worldwide and a pioneer in the delivery of experiential learning to help students reach their potential. INJAZ’s objective is to bridge the gap between the educational sector and the market place and ensure that every young person has the opportunity to benefit from INJAZ extra-curricular programs and activities. 

 

INJAZ works in public schools by virtue of its agreement with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. It also reaches out to a number of selected private schools and universities and cooperates with local and multinational companies that spread INJAZ’s message through a number of volunteers trained to communicate their experience and success stories to students. 

 

Through partnerships with the business and the educational sectors, INJAZ Lebanon provides programs that are adapted to the Lebanese context and target more than 45 public and private schools nationwide. The programs are delivered by trained volunteers, investing their time to help students better understand the market economy and develop the skills and techniques necessary to apply for jobs and apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. 

 

Since 2001, INJAZ programs have been delivered to over 60,000 students throughout Lebanon, with the support of over 25,000 professionals from local and global companies. 

 

Its programs revolve around three major themes:

 

1. Entrepreneurship

Foremost among INJAZ’ entrepreneurship programs is the Company Program, a comprehensive program sponsored by MetLife Alico that targets students of Grade 11 and 12 and help them set up and run their own business. Students organize themselves into management teams. They select a business idea, raise capital, prepare a business plan and promote and sell their product or service. The program culminates with an annual national competition and the winner attends a regional MENA competition. 

 

INJAZ also partnered with Coca Cola to deliver the “Through the Ripples of Happiness” program where students aged 18 to 24 are encouraged to develop and run a business with emphasis on social responsibility. They then enter into competition with other teams across the MENA region. 

 

In addition, INJAZ offers the “Be Entrepreneurial” curriculum reaching out to eleven and twelfth graders to teach them entrepreneurial thinking and the basic components of a start-up and a successful business plan.

 

Another program, the Entrepreneur Master Class, is an exciting one-day initiation workshop tailored to middle school youngsters to introduce them to the notion of entrepreneurship and help them identify their entrepreneurial skills through a business simulation game. 

 

2. Work readiness

Three programs are designed by INJAZ to prepare participants for the market place. First among them is the Leadership Program which facilitates the secondary students’ exploration and acquisition of leadership skills and values while planning and running a community service project. The second is the Career Success program where students (Grade 11-Grade12) develop the interpersonal skills necessary for landing and maintaining a job in the fast-growing professional industries such as effective communication, building rapport, influencing others, etc. The third project geared towards building work readiness is the Steer your Career program, which develop skills needed to operate effectively in a challenging and competitive environment.

 

3. Financial Literacy

Money management skills are at the root of the two programs falling under INJAZ’s financial literacy plan. The More than Money course promotes sound spending and saving skills and teaches students about earning and sharing through business simulation, role plays and games. As for the Personal Economics course, it provides students with the opportunity to become responsible consumers and offers training on personal financing, budgeting, credits, debts etc.  

 

INJAZ Lebanon Statistics

INJAZ Lebanon served 3233 students in 2013-2014. Females accounted for 65% of the beneficiaries and males 35%. Public school’s participation rate stood at 42% compare to 19% for private schools, 37% for vocational institutes and 2% for universities.

 

Age groups broke down as follows:

    11 to 14:     38%

    15 to 18:     47%

    19 to 24:    15%