The Generation of Innovation Leaders
The UNICEF-developed Generation of Innovation Leaders programme is addressing high unemployment rates among marginalised youth in Lebanon and building their lack of access to the knowledge economy
- Available in:
- English
- العربية
OUR MISSION:
Our mission is to empower, train, and educate disadvantaged youth by giving them access to resources that help them develop their skills, improve their livelihoods, and ultimately shape their own future. Through innovation, technology and an entrepreneurial mindset, we aim to create a generation of young leaders and innovators.
OUR VISION & OBJECTIVES
GIL helps the youth gain access to the digital economy and its many employment and educational resources, providing them with the skills needed to develop innovative, income-generating solutions to problems in their communities. Our objective is to build on the digital and entrepreneurial capacities of disadvantaged youth in Lebanon to enable them to attain better career opportunities and become self-sustaining, income-generating members of society.
GIL VALUES:
We believe in inclusiveness, participatory approaches, & innovation. Fueled by a shared vision for a better future, GIL youth are forward-thinking, socially-driven, and accountable members of society.
WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO:
The Generation of Innovation Leaders (GIL - جيل) is a program by UNICEF designed to address the high unemployment rates among youth in Lebanon & their lack of access to the knowledge economy.
The world is on the brink of a 4th industrial revolution and it is essential that the youth are equipped with 21st century skills to thrive and become successful in the future. More and more, the demand for skills such as analytical thinking, innovation, active learning, and creativity will continue to grow along with an increasing demand for various forms of technological competency. Currently, these skills are not within the reach of marginalized youth in Lebanon. GIL is a program that leverages the resources available in the digital and knowledge economies to provide learning and work opportunities for youth in the country. GIL is the umbrella program to many workshops, events, initiatives, and training tracks, which are outlined in our 3D Growth Plan. GIL was established with the funding and tremendous support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the German Government.
PHASE 1: "DISCOVER"
This is the very first phase of GIL’s 3D Growth Plan. It includes hands-on workshops, talks by industry leaders, and tutorials to help youth explore innovative new digital concepts. The reason why they will begin with this phase is because many of the youth are completely unaware of the possibilities they can achieve, whether it is a hidden skill they have or a certain career path. That is why beginning here is absolutely essential. GIL innovation labs are created in partnership with local stakeholders and operate nationwide. They even reach those residing in the most secluded and marginalized areas. At the lab, youth are provided with trainings, workshops, and events where they discover new opportunities, network with like- minded people, and develop their digital and entrepreneurial skills. The GIL labs serve as hubs and co-working spaces for youth from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
Participants will discover their interests through the following events:
- GIRLS GOT IT
- HAKAYA GIL
- JAWA2EZ GIL
Girls Got IT
Girls Got IT aims to break the cultural stereotypes that surround women in STEAM subjects by exposing young women to essential technology skills, allowing them to meet inspiring role models and learn more about the various success stories from Lebanon and the world. In addition, the initiative seeks to support the technology start-up ecosystem in Lebanon where it is implemented.
Hakaya GIL
Hakaya GIL is a series of inspirational storytelling events. Every quarter, a Hakaya GIL event is hosted in one of the regions across Lebanon. Each event features 5-10 youth who share moving stories of how, through sheer will and perseverance, they managed to triumph over various obstacles in their lives. The audience, primarily youth, will have the chance to hear fi accounts of struggles through poverty, loss, illness, war, displacement, and above all, the closed doors of opportunity. The youth participating in these events have all participated in UNICEF Lebanon’s Generation of Innovation Leaders program.
Phase 2:
"DEVELOP"
Once the participants have discovered their individual interests, they can now take advantage of modern, 21st century technology and develop skills in just four months rather than the 4 years’ time most think it would take. Here, they will develop skills directly linked to the current market, with various different tracks they can explore and even take as many courses as they wish. These are skills not taught in schools and most definitely not in underprivileged societies.
The following courses are what GIL has to offer in the Develop phase:
- ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING
- DIGITAL AND MEDIA LITERACY
- SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
- MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
- MICROWORK
- TECHWOOD TRAINING
- CISCO IT (ESSENTIALS)
- CISCO INTRODUCTION TO CYBERSECURITY
- CISCO CYBERSECURITY ESSENTIALS
- CISCO NDG LINUX UNHATCHED
- CISCO NDG LINUX ESSENTIALS
Phase 3 :
"DO"
In the final phase of the GIL 3D Growth Plan, youth can benefit from incubation services and funding to establish their own business and/or join B.O.T.’s talent pool to later be linked to digital freelancing opportunities.
These come to life in the following sessions:
- B.O.T. FOR DIGITAL WORK
- JAWA2EZ GIL
- GIL’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP INCUBATION PROGRAM
GIL’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP INCUBATION PROGRAM:
The GIL Entrepreneurship Incubation Program is a follow-up to the Training Program. Youth who successfully pilot and test their projects are expected to be able to proceed with their initiatives on their own. However, GIL will continue to provide guidance and support to all teams. In some cases, selected teams will be connected to other mentorships and new opportunities.
B.O.T. FOR DIGITAL WORK:
B.O.T. stands for “Bridge, Outsource, Transform.” It’s our online platform that pairs the GIL alumni with companies & organizations in need of outsourced digital services based on their skills. By doing freelance work, it puts them on the fast track to getting hired at a job in their field of interest and become a contributing member of society. This impact sourcing platform aims to provide local, regional, and international markets with digital services executed by marginalized communities across Lebanon. This in turn creates job opportunities for the youth and provides them with reliable business skills.
JAWA2EZ GIL:
Jawa2ez GIL is a two-day boot camp, organized by The Nawaya Network and INJAZ Lebanon to support youth teams incubated through UNICEF Lebanon’s Generation of Innovation Leaders program. Participating youth teams that have demonstrated commitment to their projects will be honing their pitching skills, receiving mentoring and further coaching with the aim of boosting their micro-businesses, either through additional funding, business support, or entryways into their specific ecosystems. We aim for this event to be a unique learning and networking experience for the teams, as well as a funnel opportunity into various sectors.
GIL Partners
The GIL program owes its achievements and its continuity to its partners whose efforts have played a pivotal role in the coming together of the program.
