Egypt, Cisco launch new initiative to train 1 million youths in digital skills
Egypt launched a programme with Cisco on Thursday to provide one million internationally recognised digital certifications to young people, part of efforts to strengthen workforce skills and support employment in the digital economy.
The initiative was announced during a ceremony in the New Capital attended by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Madbouly said the programme aims to equip Egyptian youths with internationally accredited skills in technical and professional fields to improve their competitiveness in global labour markets.
He said the initiative reflects Egypt’s strategy of investing in human capital and preparing young people for growing demand in digital services, remote work, and freelancing.
The programme also includes the launch of an International Labour Market Observatory to track global employment trends and help align Egypt’s education and training programmes with internationally-demanded skills, the prime minister said.
The event, organised by the Cabinet-affiliated Education Development Fund, included the distribution of 2,000 internationally accredited certifications to students and graduates in technology, foreign languages, and freelancing under the Digital Summer, Digital Winter, and Be Ready initiatives.
The ceremony also honoured the top 10 academies nationwide.
Madbouly said the government was implementing what he described as a “skills triangle” strategy focused on advanced digital skills, foreign languages, and freelancing skills aligned with international standards.
Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif said the ministry had expanded digital qualification programmes through a nationwide network of Cisco academies established in coordination with its technological development sector.
He said the training programmes were delivered entirely by ministry trainers, which he described as a sustainable national model for digital skills development.
Abdel Latif added that the ministry was also expanding entrepreneurship and freelancing programmes through a curriculum called “Khutwa”, which has been made available on ministry platforms.
Rasha Sharaf, secretary-general of the Education Development Fund, said the programmes target people aged between 14 and 40 through the Digital Summer, Digital Winter, and Be Ready initiatives in cooperation with the education and higher education ministries.
She said women accounted for 52 per cent of participants in the three initiatives, above the global average, while people with disabilities also recorded notable participation.
Sharaf added that the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), through the Technical Support for the Comprehensive Technical Education Initiative with Egypt II (TCTI II) Project, sponsored 300 Cisco-certified credentials for technical education students.
She said the project was implemented on behalf of the German government and co-financed by the European Union under the EU4YES programme to support Egypt’s technical education system.
Anne Schouw, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Egypt, said the European Union remained committed to supporting Egypt’s efforts to develop digital skills and prepare its workforce for changing labour market demands.
Chris Reeves, Vice President of the Digital Impact Office for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region at Cisco, said the company would continue supporting digital training programmes and expanding access to learning opportunities across Egypt.
Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English