Communication Coordinator

Background

Advancements in technology will continue to have an increasingly significant impact on jobs in the coming years and decades. According to the 2019 World Development Report (WDR), technology is having an impact on how firms operate, creating new business models and expanding job opportunities. Technology also opens opportunities to create new tech-enabled independent work as well as entrepreneurial activities. Consequently, technology is reshaping the skills needed for work with the demand for advanced cognitive skills, socio-behavioral skills and skill combinations associated with greater adaptability rising. In the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2020”, it is estimated that 85 million jobs will be displaced by 2025 while 97 million jobs will be created that tend to require a higher level of digital skills. The skill sets that are in high demand today did not exist five years ago and the pace of this trend is expected to accelerate. An analysis of LinkedIn job postings revealed that the most in demand hard skills for 2020 are Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Analytical Reasoning, Artificial Analysis, UX Design and Business Analysis. In addition, the changing nature of work significantly raises the expectation of having multiple careers which requires continuous, lifelong learning.

Worldwide, there is a global talent shortage of around 40 million skilled workers. If left unattended, companies risk losing more than $8.4 trillion in unrealized revenue by 2030. Technology trends are making the biggest impact in this shortage, and areas like data analytics and web development will face the greatest need to fill positions over the next decade. With this shortage, organizations are feeling understaffed, leading to additional duties being piled on skilled workers, creating burnout and a higher level of turnover than ever before. More than half a million of brand-new IT-related jobs are expected to be added by 2029 in the United States alone, an 11% growth from 2019, a rate much faster and higher than other industries. In Lebanon, the increasing growth of the digital economy opens opportunities for Lebanese talent given the local challenges and restrictions.

The lockdown period due to the COVID-19 health crisis accelerated and showcased the importance of digitalization and digital transformation. Although social distancing, lockdowns and temporary closure of stores have led to a dramatic impact on firms, at the same time, they led to a sharp increase in online and delivery services. Firms that had better digital processes in place, a workforce with more advanced digital skills and an overall more comprehensive digital infrastructure were more resilient and were able to shift smoothly their operations and adapt to the new reality. Some businesses are now working remotely by leveraging e-commerce platforms, particularly for food and grocery shopping. Similarly, educational platforms have risen considerably given the closure of all schools and universities nationwide. Now, more than ever, workers, including those in vulnerable communities, will need to have basic digital skills at a bare minimum and in most cases intermediate to advanced digital skills in order to remain or rejoin the workforce as demand for tech-enabled, digital economic opportunities will continue to rise.

The Lebanese workforce is considered ill-equipped with skills to thrive in a digital economy, and without the right skills the country may not benefit from the opportunities afforded by disruptive technologies and digital firms. Lebanon’s labor force is young, and the share of youth entering the labor market is expected to continue to increase. Each year, roughly 50,000 Lebanese youth age into the labor market, yet many are not able to get a job with local firms, especially in the current environment. Lebanon’s educational curriculum is outdated, and it does little to provide students with the necessary market-relevant digital skills. In the digital age, the in-demand market skills are constantly evolving whereas the Lebanese educational system is rigid and outdated – as the last update of the curriculum was done in 1997, or 24 years ago. According to the recently launched Human Capital Index, a child born in Lebanon today will only be 54 percent as productive as she could be had she had complete education and full health. Also, the lack of good quality work experience today undermines future job prospects and lowers future growth potential.

In this context, the World Bank Group launched the Skilling Up Lebanon (SUL) initiative in partnership with the Beirut Digital District (BDD) Talent Development Hub (commonly referred to as BDD Academy). SUL aims at addressing this skills gap in Lebanon by preparing young women and men for the local, regional and global jobs of the future and attracting digital technology (DT) players to make available their industry-linked certification to youth in Lebanon. This initiative will support the mobilization of private financing to more effectively link the supply of new skills to this ever-changing and growing market demand. The SUL model has been developed with the BDD Academy as the main partner, leading the implementation on the ground and coordinating with various global, regional and local players. The BDD Academy has received a grant from the World Bank to implement activities as part of SUL. The funds will cover the cost of several pilots aimed at providing training and employment service opportunities to youth in Lebanon by offering courses for the most in-demand digital and tech jobs in Lebanon and the region linked to industry-certification.  

Roles & Responsibilities

• Develop and update, in collaboration with BDD Academy Executive Director, the communications strategy of the activities implemented under the World-Bank financed project.
• Create the SUL project landing page, hosted on the BDD website and social media channels to promote the BDD academy, the World Bank and SUL project partners, activities, and initiatives
• Regularly update the content of the SUL project landing page and related social media channels
• Brainstorm and develop ideas for creative online and offline communications campaign related to the SUL project
• Plan, budget and execute objective-focused communications campaigns and outreach communication plans for events and programs organized under the SUL project in coordination with SUL project implementation partners.
• Conceptualize and coordinate the creation of engaging content (text, image, video, etc.) for SUL project campaigns with various producers (digital agencies, graphic designers, video producers, bloggers, etc.)
• Ensure regular coverage of SUL project’s events and programs on relevant media channels, websites and platforms and over social media
• Measure the performance of all SUL project’s communication campaigns, providing internal reports regularly and continuously finding ways to improve the performance metrics through testing new initiatives
• Identify and implement best practices to boost the SUL project brand awareness and grow its community
• Handle the SUL project’s community’s comments and queries in a timely manner and relay their feedback to relevant internal stakeholders
• Manage incoming media requests related to the SUL project and build relationships with relevant journalists, media outlets and PR agencies
• Organize and/or participate in promotional events related to the SUL project such as press conferences, open days, exhibitions, meetups, tours, visits, etc.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Communications or related field 
• Three years of experience in marketing/communication/community management
• Knowledge of Social Media platforms and tools (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), Google Analytics, SEO, Hootsuite or similar programs to manage online postings on different platforms
• Experience in running Paid social media advertising campaigns
• Proficiency in MS Office
• Excellent written and verbal command of English and Arabic, French is a plus

Skills

• Positive, enthusiastic and outgoing personality
• A mix of creativity and analytical abilities
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Superb time management skills

Duration

• The duration of this Consultancy is a total of 10 months, expected to span over the period January 2022, to November 2022. Remuneration will be determined based on the candidate’s experience and the Terms of Reference. Based on program needs, budget availability and consultant performance, the contract may be extended.
• The consultant will report to the BDD Academy Executive Director.