February 7, 2017
In Alexandria, a conference aimed at promoting youth employment is being held with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and officials from Egypt's Ministry of Education and Technical Education (MoETE). The event focuses on creating dialogue between leaders of Egyptian business and technical schools with private sector employees to enhance the readiness of graduating students for employment. This initiative is part of USAID’s Workforce Improvement and Skills Enhancement (WISE) project in Egypt.
The "Transition to Employment" conference addresses key issues such as turnover in the private sector, on-the-job training, and recruitment challenges. USAID Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin stated, “In collaboration with the Ministry, USAID initiated a public-private partnership program that links the private sector with skilled graduates of public technical schools.” She further noted that through this partnership, "the project has trained 1,800 technical school teachers on programs that lead to jobs for Egyptian youth."
The collaboration between USAID and MoETE aims to facilitate smoother transitions for technical school students into employment. Training has been provided to 1,800 teachers across 28 schools in various governorates throughout Egypt. These efforts include offering career guidance to students, helping them understand labor market dynamics and employment options, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation within technical schools, and adapting curricula to align better with job market demands.
Over recent months, this initiative has successfully placed more than 1,000 graduates in jobs and facilitated internship opportunities for over 850 students. Currently, around 8,000 students are participating in career guidance sessions while another 4,000 engage in entrepreneurship activities.
Since its inception in 1978, USAID has invested close to $30 billion in Egypt. This enduring partnership has contributed significantly to reducing infant mortality rates, eradicating polio, modernizing infrastructure like power grids and telecommunications networks, equipping students with employable skills, and supporting entrepreneurs who bolster the Egyptian economy.