Alexandria – Joining officials from the Ministry of Education and Technical Education (MoETE), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting a conference today that will bring leaders of Egyptian business and technical schools into dialogue with private sector employees to discuss how best to prepare graduating students for the workplace. Contributing to USAID’s ongoing Workforce Improvement and Skills Enhancement (WISE) project in Egypt, the “Transition to Employment” conference will also address turnover in the private sector, on-the-job training, and recruitment issues.

“In collaboration with the Ministry, USAID initiated a public-private partnership program that links the private sector with skilled graduates of public technical schools,” said USAID Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin. “Through this strong and effective partnership, the project has trained 1,800 technical school teachers on programs that lead to jobs for Egyptian youth.”

USAID partners with the MoETE to facilitate technical school students’ transitions to employment. The project has trained 1,800 teachers and staff in 28 schools in governorates throughout Egypt to provide career guidance for students, assist them in understanding the labor market and employment options, increase entrepreneurship and innovation in technical schools, and adapt curricula to better meet the needs of the job market. Over the past five months, this project has helped place over 1,000 graduates in jobs and over 850 students in internship opportunities. Currently, 8,000 students are enrolled in career guidance training sessions and 4,000 in entrepreneurship activities.

Since 1978, USAID has invested nearly $30 billion in the people of Egypt. This longstanding partnership has helped reduce infant mortality and eliminate polio, modernize the power grid and expand telecommunications networks, prepare students with marketable skills, and launch entrepreneurs who create good jobs and strengthen the Egyptian economy.