The 7th edition of Forward launched with the full support of the Lebanese economy and education sectors

The Forum will be held in the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center (Biel) starting May 10th and until May 13th 2007, opening its doors to visitors from 3:00 in the afternoon to 10:00 in the evening.

Before the Forum was announced opened to the public, an inaugural lunch was held at the Pavillon Royal Terasse Biel, under the patronage of Mr. Ghazi Kraytem, President of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. The lunch brought together prominent economists, an elite of the education sector, industry heads, businessmen, syndicate representatives, Lebanese and foreign exhibitors as well as the media.

Speaking at the lunch, Ms Tania Eid, Managing Partner of Careers and the Center for Orientation and Documentation (COD) - the organizing companies of FORWARD - reiterated on the importance of the Forum taking place this year regardless of the political and economic setbacks due to two main factors: One the one hand, the organizers' strong belief in the Lebanese youth's potential and their determination to provide them with serious opportunities; on the second hand, the perseverance and insistence of the educational institutions and the Lebanese companies.

'Since its inception seven years ago, we wanted this Forum to go beyond the traditional scope of a recruitment and orientation exhibition. We have been working on making it a national platform of hope for our young people, to restore their confidence and strengthen their sense of patriotism towards their country while inspiring hope in a better future'.

Ms. Eid added 'The success of the previous editions of Forward highlighted its important role which positively impacted the labor market, created opportunities for investment, and promoted the qualifications and competencies of the young Lebanese while orienting them. The Forum also played a main role in reflecting the difficulties that the Lebanese higher education sector's is facing due to the absence of similar individual initiatives which can slow down the current social and economy crisis manifesting through the high unemployment rate and the current massive brain drain'.

Ms. Eid's word was followed by three speeches made successively by Mr. Ghazi Kraytem, Mr. Jacques Sarraf - President of the 'Union for Mediterranean Businessmen' - and Mr. Talal Makdessi - Chairman of THG. The three spokesmen agreed that the importance of Forward 2007 surpasses the fact that it answers to the basic need of recruiting human resources, and reaches national proportions as it has indirect and direct impact on the Lebanese economy.

Forward 2007 will gather top notch firms who will recruit, screen and hire candidates looking for a better job, seeking to re-enter the workforce or just starting their career from scratch. From an academic perspective, FORWARD 2007 will also provide the youth with an opportunity to get properly acquainted with the different branches and specializations in local and international universities, to communicate with professionals and benefit from training or internship opportunities.

The Forum includes more than 100 local, Arab and international exhibitors, strongly believing in Lebanon's prosperous future as well as having faith in its skilled, educated and ambitious youth.

However, for the first time since its inception, more than 75% of the exhibitor profile comprises Lebanese companies whose main purpose at the Forum this year is to create hundreds of employments to the Lebanese youth and provide them with job opportunities in their country in order to prevent their emigration.

As for the Lebanese companies participating in the forum, they come from different economical sectors including Construction and Contracting, Hospitals and Healthcare services, Airlines, Telecommunication and IT, Advertising and Marketing, Banking and Insurance, Accounting and Auditing, as well as Retail, Industry and Distribution of food products, pharmaceuticals, clothing, and cosmetics.

The Forum also provides a large array of professions including administrative and consulting positions (Accounting, sales, HR management, marketing…) as well as technical jobs (IT specialist, engineers…). The recruitment process will take place either at the forum, where job seekers can meet with the company's representatives and get hired on the spot, or at a later stage, where the companies will contact the job seekers for an interview or for a job offer.

Forward is a unique and profitable opportunity for job seekers aged between 18 and 50 years old. Its benefits can be resumed as follows:
- Forward allows job seekers to meet with more then a 100 companies in one location and within four days, which allows them to save time and efforts;
- Forward provides training or orientation seekers with the necessary programs and institutions teaching them how to write resumes, and prepare for job interviews;
- Forward provides students with professional consultancies and guidance as well as psychological tests allowing them to make the right decisions regarding their future education or career in accordance with their skills.

All Forward's visitors will leave the forum with new prospects to build a better career, whether they were recruited for a position or managed to establish solid basis for their future plans in terms of education, career or the skills-training.