A private vocational school
with its own career centre

A new type of vocational school

Egypt has the largest vocational training system in the region. With 60 per cent of training places, technical training represents a significant part of the higher education system in Egypt. There are more than 2,300 vocational education and training institutions in the country. But the system faces many challenges. These include a lack of teachers, outdated curricula and generally inadequate technical equipment at the facilities. Many institutions are overcrowded and do not offer students the desired study conditions.

At the same time, companies in Egypt still have great difficulty in finding qualified young workers. The government therefore wants to promote the involvement of the private sector in vocational training and introduced the concept of Applied Technology Schools (ATS) in 2022. It is part of Egypt's Vision 2030 and foresees the creation of privately operated vocational schools that offer internationally recognized degrees. The schools are financed by tuition fees, among other sources of revenue. They follow the approach of competence-orientated training and shall put forth graduates who meet the requirements of companies in the industries of the future. The schools are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Technical Education.

A disused campus is given a new lease of life

Our partner company Nahdet Misr Publishing House was founded in 1938. It offers diverse activities in the field of education, some of which are carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Education. It is not only active in Egypt, but also in other countries of the Middle East. With the support of Invest for Jobs, Nahdet Misr will renovate and re-equip an existing training centre in Shubra El-Kheima. Together with the consortium partner Network for Employment Promotion (NEP), a job placement agency and developer of training content, it will operate a vocational school and career centre under the name Ta'heal International Academy in the renovated facilities.

Nahdet Misr Publishing House has founded a subsidiary for this purpose. The consortium partner NEP will provide some of the teaching staff and will be responsible for cooperation with companies and potential employers. The centre will have 26 classrooms, ten workshops and two computer rooms. To ensure a close connection to everyday working life, students will work in local companies at least two days per week. The training programmes will focus on industry, hotel and catering, construction and information and communication technology (ICT). Sustainability aspects will play an important role both in the operation of the Academy and in the creation of the learning content. Graduates will leave the Academy with excellent qualifications for a well-paid job in the private sector.

Around 3,300 new jobs

Within three years, around 940 people will undergo training and further education at the Academy. Both multi-year courses and short part-time programmes will be offered. Numerous companies have signed letters of intent and agreed to create around 3,300 new jobs for graduates of the Ta'heal International Academy. The Academy itself will employ 86 people. All employees of the Academy will have health insurance and will be entitled to paid leave and other social benefits in accordance with Egyptian labour law.

The newly founded company is planning to invest a total of 7.06 million euros. The Facility Investing for Employment (IFE) grants a subsidy of 3.53 million euros (50 per cent). IFB funds will be used to finance the renovation of the existing buildings, the purchase of furniture, technical equipment for the workshops and a system for e-learning and quality management.

The Facility Investing for Employment (IFE) of KfW Development Bank is part of the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). With its support, the Facility wants to remove barriers that prevent the creation of new and better jobs in the private sector in the African partner countries.