وزير العمل: تضافر الجهود لتنفيذ برامج ربط التدريب المهنى باحتياجات السوق

Minister of Labor, Hassan Shehata, stressed the importance of concerted efforts and intensifying cooperation between labor and development partners in order to implement plans and programs to link education and vocational training with the needs of the labor market at home and abroad.

The Minister touched on the “Vocational Project 2030”, which was launched by the Ministry of Labor in mid-January, in cooperation with the private sector, to develop the vocational training system and qualify one million trainees annually with global skills, according to the needs of the “market”, in implementation of the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic.

This came during a speech by Minister Hassan Shehata this Wednesday morning, as an opening speech for the International Exhibition and Forum for Technological Technical Education, Dual Technical Education and Vocational Training “Edutech 2024”, in the presence of the Minister of Education and Technical Education, Dr. Reda Hegazy, Dr. Ali Shams El-Din, Chairman of the Forum, and representatives of ministries, government agencies, and international cooperation organizations and institutions. The Ministers of Labor and Education handed over certificates of honor to outstanding students.

The Minister began his speech by saying: “It gives me great pleasure to be present among you at the International Exhibition and Forum for Technological Technical Education, Dual Technical Education and Vocational Training, which I was keen to respond to the call for its sponsorship and presence among you because of its great importance in maximizing the use of human resources in light of the current challenges.” facing the labor market in general, and in linking educational outcomes to the needs and requirements of the evolving labor market.”

Minister Shehata said: “The labor market faces many challenges coinciding with the successive industrial and technological developments the world is witnessing, which have affected job opportunities, whether positively with the creation of some or negatively with the disappearance of others. Perhaps what brings us together today is this issue specifically and the attempt to answer the question.” A very important question is: “How can the labor market benefit from human resources and invest in them or protect them from waste and loss in light of these challenges?”

He added: “The availability of job opportunities in the current era is closely linked to several factors, including: 1- Levels of learning, knowledge and acquired experience. 2- The individual’s ability to succeed in continuing education. 3- Receiving good and advanced vocational training that responds to the needs and requirements of the evolving labor market.” All of them contribute to creating a surplus to meet the demand for skilled labor in the labor market at home and abroad and help advance various sectors, confront problems related to unemployment, reduce the severity of poverty, and confront costs related to education. Education, technical education, and vocational training are major guarantees of social sustainability and the ability to withstand challenges Which is ravaging societies, because it ensures: 1. the continued flow of job opportunities.. 2. providing foundations for carrying out entrepreneurship and small and micro-enterprise activities.. 3. and reducing work in the unorganized sector.. 4 “Provide work.”

The Minister explained, “Continuing to improve the stereotypical mental image of technical education and vocational training is the result of a joint effort between the Egyptian government, the private sector, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and others interested in work, education, and training. Among the fruits of this cooperation were schools, institutes, technological universities, and vocational training centers that were established.” It will undoubtedly contribute to generating more job opportunities at home and abroad and developing mechanisms for their advancement. In the end, I wish you a successful forum, hoping to reach fruitful recommendations that contribute to developing technical education and vocational training and linking it to the labor market in a way that raises the status of our dear country, Egypt, to a better position at home, God willing. And outside.”

The activities of the third edition of the International Forum and Exhibition for Higher Technological Education, Dual Education and Vocational Training, “Edutech Egypt”, began on Wednesday morning, and will continue for two days, under the slogan “Create your future”, in the presence of a group of officials from the relevant ministries, and more than 200 education experts. Technical and training from various countries of the world… The forum is held, in partnership with the National Initiative for Industrial Development “Ibda,” and under the auspices and participation of the Ministries of Education, Technical Education, Planning and Economic Development, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Labor, Communications and Information Technology, Military Production, and Trade. Industry, petroleum and mineral wealth, immigration, as well as the Federation of Egyptian Industries.

This event comes based on President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s continuous directives to pay attention to technical education, develop it, and link it to industry and development files, and consider it one of the most important pillars of the national program for structural reforms, and an essential axis in the state’s plan to attract foreign investments, considering the trained and diverse professional workforce in several fields an important incentive for foreign investors. Especially in the three basic economic sectors: industry, agriculture, communications, and information technology. The forum’s discussions, in which Egyptian and international experts participate, aim to improve the efficiency of the labor market internally, and expand applied technology schools with the aim of developing and encouraging technological technical education and vocational training to provide the Egyptian workforce with skills and competencies. The forum and the accompanying exhibition also aim to support the state’s efforts in changing society’s stereotypical mental image of technical education and developing the workforce trained to work inside and outside Egypt.

The forum and exhibition are held in partnership with the European Union Commission in Egypt, the “Egypt Workforce” project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USALD), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Multi-Education Program (MEPEP) funded by the European Union and implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, The program to support renewable energy and energy efficiency in technical education TEREE, funded by the German Construction Bank KFW, the German Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Egyptian Telecommunications Company “WE”, the Industry Service Complex of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, the National Academy of Sciences and Skills (NAS), the new technological universities, and the University of… Saxony Misr for Applied Science and Technology, Ghabbour Development Foundation, El Sewedy Technical Academy STA, Taheel Company for Excellence Skills Development, and B-Do Educational Solutions Company.

During the two days, 200 experts from Egypt, several European countries and the United States of America will participate in the forum to discuss quality assurance and accreditation of technical education locally and internationally, developments in the sectoral skills councils prepared by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, and the private sector’s partnership with the government in improving the outcomes of technical education, and expanding opportunities and programs. Higher education in technological universities and linking it to the specializations of applied technology schools, and discussing the role of technical education in transitioning to a green economy to achieve sustainable development, internationalizing technical education and promoting international companies to facilitate the movement of Egyptian workers abroad. The exhibition coincides with the forum dedicated to applied technology schools and technological universities to receive parents. Students wishing to enroll in applied technology schools or technological universities will attend over two days to answer their inquiries. The exhibition is accompanied by events and side events, and seminars are held for visiting students to encourage young people to pursue entrepreneurship and establish projects, make them aware of education, training and work opportunities, and arm them with the basic components of investment in all industrial, agricultural and technological fields.

It is noteworthy that the forum includes 7 sessions during which it reviews plans to keep pace with the policies and programs of the ministries concerned with the development of technical education with the directions of economic and social development and the general policy of the state in this file… The second session discusses the latest developments and developments in the implementation of the new vision and the strategic plan for technical and vocational education and training in Egypt. In terms of improving the quality of technical education after the establishment of the Egyptian Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Technical Education and Vocational Training “ETQAAN” and the best international practices in building quality systems for technical education in technical schools, as well as examining what is being done with regard to applying the competency methodology system in school curricula, share The business and industry sector and the expansion of the establishment of applied technology schools and technical education schools in partnership with the private sector and ways to continue and increase support and encourage the participation of business owners in developing technical education, and reviewing the efforts of international development partners and the most important outcomes of joint projects, student-centered vocational and technical education and training, and work-based learning. .

The third session of the forum addresses opportunities for labor transfer, cooperation, and international partnerships to open horizons and job opportunities for technicians abroad… Participants will also discuss – meeting international requirements and needs for trained technical labor, “opportunities for cross-border cooperation, exchanging knowledge, and establishing partnerships,” and facilitating the legal transfer of labor from Through global and cross-border partnerships “THAMM-EU Talent-Italian cooperation”, as well as introducing public opinion to the best practices related to official immigration “the Saudi agreement, other Arab countries, Italian, German and Finnish cooperation and other opportunities for cooperation with international partners”… The fourth session addresses the role of Technical and vocational education and training in preparing technicians qualified for sustainable development for the transition to a green economy and qualified with smart and green skills..
The specialists discuss the pivotal role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in preparing the skilled workforce to face the challenges and opportunities for a sustainable future and an economy transformed into a green economy that is efficient in the use of energy and resources, and shed light on the skills and priorities in the field of technical and vocational education and training, to contribute to Egypt’s transformation. To the green economy, as well as highlighting the ongoing efforts, including the efforts made by ministries such as planning, education, technical education, and higher education in green projects, as well as the efforts of development partners and the private sector to reduce emissions and transition to new and renewable energy.

The fifth session of the forum will address mechanisms for changing the stereotypical form of technical education, introducing the opportunities for success it provides to young people, and reformulating the mental image of technical and vocational education and training in Egypt, by reviewing the national strategy to improve the social image of technical and vocational education and training, and the role of the private sector in changing the image of technical and vocational education and training. Vocational and technical education and training, the role of competitions and awards, participation in the Global Skills Competition for technical and vocational education and training, the Arab Knowledge Index issued by the Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme, the results of last year and the implications of the progress of the technical education index… The sixth session reviews a number of success stories. And the exchange of experiences by graduates and students of technical and vocational education and training, displaying models that have achieved great successes, as well as presentations by students and graduates of technical and vocational education and training, exchanging experiences and success stories, in addition to discussions about girls’ successes in technical and vocational education and training, gender equality, and presenting success stories of female students who chose this path. Project Innovative technology as a model of partnerships with the private sector and a role model in technical and vocational education and training… The forum concludes with a session that discusses opportunities for integration between pre-university technical education and university technological education, compatibility between new specializations in technical schools and technological universities, providing opportunities and opening the way to higher education, and bridging The gap between vocational school education and the specialization of technical universities. Integration between the stages of education and study programs and ways to support and increase international partnerships with the vocational education system in Egypt, as well as working to strengthen the vocational education sector to suit the skills of the future and the needs of the evolving labor market and raise the skills and capabilities of vocational education graduates and ways to bridge The competency gap in the local and international labor market and exchanging international experiences with different vocational education systems.

On the sidelines of the forum, many events will be held. An employment and recruitment exhibition will be held at the forum with the participation of many national companies to help graduates of technical and technological education in developing their employability skills and finding distinctive job opportunities. The forum will also be accompanied by an interactive theater for students and parents, through which a group of experts will lecture. Entrepreneurship and human development with the participation of participating parties to increase students’ awareness of future fields of work, opportunities and skills required and help students determine their desires, discover their inclinations and desires, and acquire entrepreneurship skills… The exhibition is accompanied by a theater that offers seminars for visiting students to encourage young people to pursue entrepreneurship and establish projects and make them aware of education and training opportunities. And work, and arm them with the basic components of investment in all industrial, agricultural, and technological fields.