The selected participants represent diverse educational, social, and economic backgrounds. They include university graduates seeking their first employment opportunity, young women pursuing professional development, and young people from underserved communities with limited access to training and employment opportunities.

Furthermore, the recruitment process highlighted the strong motivation of participants to strengthen their skills, improve their employability, and contribute positively to their communities.

To ensure broad outreach, BCTS implemented a comprehensive communication campaign through social media, local organisations, educational institutions, and youth networks.

In addition, the project team provided support throughout the application process to encourage participation from a diverse range of communities and ensure accessibility for potential applicants.

The selection process followed transparent and objective criteria. Following eligibility verification, 116 applications met the programme requirements. Subsequently, 96 candidates were invited for interviews, while 70 candidates completed the interview stage.

As a result, BCTS selected 50 participants based on motivation, commitment, availability, support needs, and programme eligibility criteria.

Women accounted for 64.7% of all applicants, demonstrating strong interest in opportunities related to training, mentoring, entrepreneurship, and employability.

Moreover, the recruitment process successfully reached young people facing different forms of vulnerability, including unemployment, caregiving responsibilities, transportation challenges, and limited access to previous training opportunities.

The recruitment process also provided valuable insights into the challenges and aspirations of participating youth.

Many applicants identified financial difficulties, limited work experience, skills gaps, transportation barriers, and restricted access to training opportunities as key obstacles to their professional development.

At the same time, participants expressed strong interest in entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, digital skills, communication skills, leadership development, and access to funding opportunities.

These findings will help ensure that upcoming project activities remain responsive to participant needs and local realities.

Following the completion of recruitment, the project now enters its implementation phase.

Selected participants will engage in a series of activities, including training programmes, mentoring sessions, boot camps, practical learning laboratories, employability support activities, and social entrepreneurship initiatives linked to the Social and Solidarity Economy.

Furthermore, the project will continue to promote youth inclusion and support pathways toward employment, entrepreneurship, and active participation in local communities.

EmpoweerNEET is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg NEXT MED Programme. The project supports young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEETs) by strengthening their skills, employability, entrepreneurial capacity, and socio-economic inclusion across the Mediterranean region.

The completion of the recruitment phase marks an important milestone and creates a strong foundation for the activities that will follow in Lebanon.

https://www.interregnextmed.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Opening-New-Opportunities-for-Youth-in-Lebanon-EmpoweerNEET-Completes-Recruitment-of-50-Participants.pdf