Cairo: The Facility Investing for Employment  (IFE) announced the signing of a grant agreement to support a collaborative project between the public and private sectors, led by Egypt's Nahdet Misr Publishing House, known for its leadership in education, culture, and capacity building. This project involves the participation of the Egyptian Network for Employment Promotion (NEP) and aims to establish the "Ta’heal International Academy" with an investment of 7.06 million euros. The Facility is committed to contributing 50% of these investments, amounting to 3.53 million euros, while Nahdet Misr will cover the remaining 50% of the investment. The agreement signing was witnessed by Dr. Mohamed Megahed, Deputy Minister of Education and Technical Education and Mr. Holger Illi, Head of German Development cooperation.

Under this agreement, Nahdet Misr will commence the transformation of the "Begam Training Center" located in the Shubra Al-Khaimah area into the Ta’heal International Academy. This will become an integrated educational and training institution, encompassing a school for vocational education, a vocational training center, as well as an entrepreneurship center and employment office in cooperation with the Egyptian Network for Employment Promotion (NEP).

The "Ta’heal International Academy", a subsidiary of the Nahdet Misr Publishing House that specializes in vocational education and training, will manage and operate the academy in accordance with international standards. Meanwhile, the academy will offer internationally accredited technical study programs and diplomas in over 12 specializations across four core sectors: the industrial sector, the tourism and hospitality sector, the construction and building sector, and the information technology and communication sector.

 Additionally, the academy will provide a diverse range of vocational training programs in various technical disciplines to equip youth with skills for the job market and enhance the efficiency of the Egyptian workforce in priority technical sectors according to international standards. The employment center at the academy will connect students and trainees with practical employment opportunities in major companies throughout their study period and will provide decent job opportunities after graduation in Egypt.

Students will have the opportunity to train at local company premises for at least two days a week to acquire the necessary skills for the job market. Sustainability, green economy skills, and digital skills will be a priority and a key player in the academy's operational processes and educational and training content.

“Egypt’s economy needs to add 800.000 to 1 million new jobs every year to integrate the young generation. To allow the private sector to grow and create employment, Egypt needs to up the speed of its structural reforms and create a level playing field for businesses. The job of the state is to create framework conditions that allow markets to function and businesses to compete productively.” Stated Holger Illi, Head of German Development cooperation.

"Investing in education is one of the most important ways to develop and sustain a society. While Egypt has the largest technical education and vocational training system in the region, there are many challenges that it faces,” said Steffen Kuhl, Managing Director of The Facility Investing for Employment. “Therefore, the Facility provided support to partners in establishing the Ta’heal International Academy, which is expected to change the landscape of technical training in Egypt. The new academy is expected to provide 3,300 employment opportunities in collaboration with several companies that have expressed their commitment to hiring its graduates.”

He added: "The financial grant provided by IFE, amounting to 3.53 million euros, will be directed towards facility renovations, construction, equipment for technical workshops, modern technological tools, e-learning systems, and a comprehensive quality management system for the academy."

Meanwhile, Dalia Ibrahim, CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House and founder of Ta’heal for VET Skills, stated: "The support provided by the Facility Investing for Employment, in addition to Nahdet Misr’s investments, represents a significant leap in advancing technical education and vocational training in Egypt. Nahdet Misr in collaboration with the Egyptian Network for Employment Promotion, has entered into agreements with partners who have expressed a strong desire to welcome academy students for training at their premises or to employ its graduates."

She further explained that the new academy represents a new achievement in the continuous efforts of Nahdet Misr - since its inception in 1938 - to enhance education in general and technical education in particular, believing in the role of technical education in boosting the country's economy, community development, and achieving sustainability.  Nahdet Misr will continue to work with its partners to realize this vision.

About The Facility Investing for Employment:

The Facility Investing for Employment (IFE) is an investment mechanism created by KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) as an integral part of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation “Decent Jobs for a Just Transition” Operating under the brand “Invest for Jobs”, the Facility aims to remove investment barriers that prevent the creation of new and better jobs in the private sector in its partner countries in Africa: Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia.

For more information about the Facility Investing for Employment: https://invest-for-jobs.com

About Nahdet Misr:

Nahdet Misr is a leading institution in the Arab world in fields of education, culture, and capacity building. The group provides comprehensive educational solutions, including educational content development, curriculum design, professional development programs for educators, digital learning solutions, educational software development, various publishing services (both print and digital), vocational education solutions, as well as incubation and investment services for startup companies operating in the field of educational technology and capacity building.

Established in 1938, Nahdet Misr Group offers its services through nine different companies. In 2021, it established "Skills Development Qualification," a specialized institution in vocational and technical education and training.

Skills Development Qualification aims to provide solutions for the available workforce by focusing on vocational and technical education and training and equipping individuals with diverse skills based on market requirements. The institution's goal is to combat unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa region and transform the workforce into valuable and impactful assets for economic growth.