Halfway through, UNIFIL's vocational training programme continues to equip the selected southern students from technical schools with practical skills in order to build on their theoretical background.

Halfway through, UNIFIL's vocational training programme continues to equip the selected southern students from technical schools with practical skills in order to build on their theoretical background. The vocational training programme had kicked off earlier on 3 July at UNIFIL's Headquarters in Naquora.

The students' progress is highly noted and so the teachers' enthusiasm. The students are distributed in 4 groups, 3 in engineering units focusing on generator, warm and cold (AC units), and electrical units, and a fourth group in the vehicle transport unit.

In a visit to the generator unit, David Hatoum and Hussein Milhem showed how far they had come in these few weeks in gaining the essential practical expertise needed. According to their instructors, the students are fast learners, quickly grasping the essence of the mechanical work needed to repair and work on the generators.

Tony Hajj, UNIFIL's generator foreman, spoke of his trainees with pride. "We have reached together the dismantling and assembling phase of the generators, they have learned to put their knowledge into real work. They are operating according to the right specifications, measurements, and limits." he said.

The training was divided into several phases to ensure its proper absorption, and now they have reached the last phase known as the "overall".

The purpose of this vocational training is not to graduate professionals but to serve as a complement to their education with a solid field experience.

Over in UNIFIL's transport section, Hussein Daher and Elias Mikhael have finished their training in the heavy vehicles department and are just starting in the light vehicles section. They believe in the quality of time they are spending here, being coached and taught skills that require years of experience to attain.

Philip Scarr, UNIFIL's road safety, inspection and training officer, explained that the trainees are benefitting from hands on experience. "This vocational training has proved to be a great partnership so far and I am very delighted and impressed from the trainees' attitude and work".

Focusing on education and employment, this vocational training aligns with the objectives of the International Youth Day which will be celebrated on 12 August 2012 under the theme - Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth in relation to employment, entrepreneurship, education, including on sexual and reproductive health; political inclusion, citizenship, and protection of rights.

UNIFIL is proud to play its part in contributing to the education and future of the youth in South Lebanon.