Woodworking Machines & Safety Course

In preparation for starting the Dual System Program in carpentry next year, and in cooperation with GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit) and the Department of Vocational Training in the Ministry of Education, our partners in Germany EVS (Evangelischer Verein für die Schneller-Schulen) arranged with BBW (Berufsbildungswerk Waiblingen gGmbH) for two carpentry experts to come to JLSS and give a course in Woodworking Machines & Safety. As a consequence of the known fact that carpenters end up losing a finger or getting serious injury after a few years of work, new safety methods were recently adopted in Germany to make sure work accidents never happen in carpentry workshops. Carpenters in Germany now must attend a safety course and pass its exam before they are licensed to work or teach. Mr. Helmut Hekmann, the EVS advisor for Schneller vocational schools, in cooperation with GTZ, arranged for a similar course to be offered in Lebanon. GTZ is the main sponsor of this course, and it opened it to all people teaching or working in carpentry in Lebanon. Carpentry trainers from our sister school in Amman - Jordan, Theodore Schneller School, were also invited and expected to attend, but for reasons unknown to us they did not arrive. Nine carpentry trainers and one carpentry professional attended this course. Mr. Jorg Seibold and Mr. Frank Häusser arrived from Germany to JLSS on 13 February 2010. They spent the weekend exploring JLSS and preparing for the course. On Monday 15 February, Mr. Jürgen Förderer from GTZ-GOPA and Mr. Jad Haddad from the Department of Vocational Training in the Ministry of Education arrived from Beirut for the official opening of the course. Also attending were Rev. George Daniel Haddad, JLSS General Director, and Mr. Nasr Debs, Program Coordinator for Schneller Vocational School. The course had a two-week program that extended from the 15th until the 24th of February. The participants in this course were Mr. Haytham Chawki El-Saheli (Technical School of Hermel), Mr. Khalil Maroun El-Akoury (Technical School of Jezzine), Mr. Fayad Youssef Nakhoul (Arts & Crafts School - Dekwaneh), Mr. Moharram Mohammad Ali El-Makkari (Technical School of Sidon), Mr. Bassam Hassan Rachid Deeb (Technical School of Bint Jbeil), Mr. Roger Joseph Rizk Alwan (Technical School of Zgharta), Mr. Abbas Hussein Nasreddine (Technical School of Bednayel), Mr. Elias Assaad Karam (Carpentry Professional from Dekwaneh), Mr. George Ibrahim Haddad and Mr. George Nahhas (Schneller Vocational School). Both Mr. Jorg Seibold and Mr. Frank Häusser were very happy with the enthusiasm and interest of all participants as they were all fully involved with the whole training program. On Thursday 24 February Dr. Michael Guder, Mr. Jürgen Förderer, and Mr. Carlos Nafaa drove from Beirut for the official presentation of certificates and debriefing at the end of the course. On display were all the safety accessories that were made during the course. Each participant received a full set free of charge. We express our sincere gratitude to GTZ, EVS, BBW, the Department of Vocational Training in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Michael Guder, Mr. Jürgen Förderer, Mr. Jad Haddad, Mr. Carlos Nafaa, Mr. Jorg Seibold, Mr. Frank Häusser, and Mr. Helmut Hekmann for arranging this wonderful course. Through the few trainers who attended this course, hundreds of carpentry students will know how to operate dangerous machinery in utmost safety. We are sure it will spare many of them unnecessary disabling injury. We look forward to more cooperation in the future to the enhancement and development of vocational training in Lebanon.