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ESA Coding Lab - Training tomorrow’s talent in computer programming

Project

ESA Coding-Lab, Nabatieh - Liban
© École supérieure des affaires
Project start date
Status

Ongoing

Project duration
4 Years
AFD financing amount
500 000 €
Country and region
Lebanon
Location
Nabatiyeh and another branch to be determined
Type of financing
Fund for Technical Expertise and Experience Transfers (FEXTE)
Partners
Banque du Liban
Beneficiaries
École Supérieure des Affaires (ESA)
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The Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA), with the French expertise of its partner school ESIEE IT, aims to create a unique coding school, the ESA Coding Lab, which can respond to the challenges of professional integration and the creation of a pool of web developers who can have a lasting impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Context

Despite the economic crisis, job offers in the IT field are increasing. The demand is particularly high for developers, and more specifically mobile application developers significantly affecting the growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lebanon. An analysis conducted with Smart ESA’s network of startups in 2018 estimated their need to be close to 200 developers per year. One third of startup project abandonments are said to be due to the lack of developers.

There is a mismatch between university training (especially in computer engineering) and the demand of companies, which are looking for skilled labor in application development. 4 000 students graduating each year from the computer science programs of Lebanese universities are generally insufficiently qualified in computer development to meet this need.

Description

ESA proposes to establish a coding school with centers in several strategic regions to make training as accessible as possible. The first location will be in Nabatiyeh.

The objective of the ESA Coding Lab is to train full-stack web developers, i.e. developers who master all the software layers:

  • Web interfaces (visible part of a website): Javascript, HTML, CSS
  • The back-end: database management, Java, Python, etc.

The program has two main targets:

  • Young graduates in engineering or computer science from a second-tier university, looking to develop a skill that will make them immediately employable
  • Young workers - with 1 to 4 years of experience and looking to change career path.

ESIEE IT, a school of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP), will support ESA in setting up this coding program for a period of 4 years.

Impacts

  • Promote the professional integration of young graduates, allowing them to be immediately operational in growing companies.
  • Create a pool of qualified developers who can have a lasting impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  • Support the stability of the country by helping to reduce fragility, including the social «dropout» of certain populations or parts of the territory.