GTZ & GOPA Carpentry Advisors in JLSS

Through the kind effort of Mr. Helmut Hekmann (EVS) and the support of BBW (Berufsbildungswerk Wiablingen gGmbH), GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit), and GOPA Worldwide Consultants; two carpentry advisors, Mr. Christoph Rommel and Joachim Scheibel visited Lebanon from 21 till 28 June 2009. The purpose of their visit was to assist in the development of the curriculum for dual system carpentry.
Our school has been working with GTZ in Lebanon and the Department of Vocational Training in the Ministry of Education on developing a curriculum for dual system carpentry. This program did not exist in Lebanon, and we requested the help of GTZ to help us set this new program as part of the recognized official program with recognized government exams and certificates.
A committee was formed last year to develop this new program and the chief trainer of our carpentry workshop was on this committee with other members from the department of vocational training. They took a German program as their point of reference and have been working for over a year now to translate it and adapt it to the Lebanese local situation.
Mr. Rommel and Mr. Scheibel had various meetings in Lebanon, and visited some local companies to assess the local situation. They also visited the GTZ offices in Beirut and the Department of vocational Training. They had many meetings in our school and spent time assessing our carpentry workshop and its needs. They also visited a vocational school in Jezzine.
Mr. Jürgen Förderer, GOPA & GTZ consultant on vocational education and training in Lebanon, kindly travelled to our school and Jezzine to attend meetings and follow up on the visit.
The curriculum that was prepared locally was found to be too complex and detailed. Mr. Rommel and Mr. Scheibel, in coordination with GTZ, the department of vocational training, and our staff, used the model of the approved curriculum for car mechanics to prepare one for carpentry. They will work on translating it to English after which it will be presented for final approval.
We express our thanks to Mr. Hekmann, Mr. Rommel, Mr. Scheibel, Mr. Förderer, GTZ, GOPA, BBW, EVS, and the Department of Vocational Training of the Lebanese Ministry of Education for brining this JLSS project to realization.