81305053-Expansion of Pre-orientation Services and Institutionalisation of TTE-Units in Egypt

One of Egypt"s most pressing economic and social concerns is the creation of productive and dignified jobs. In 2020, the ILO reported that 7.9% of Egypt"s labour force was unemployed. Among young people, the unemployment rate stood at 17.3%, with young women being affected the most (43.5% compared ti 12.5% for young males). According to the Economic Research Forum (ERF) 2018 63% of employed individuals in Egypt are informally employed or in vulnerable employment. The annual growth rates of the GDP have been steadily declining since 2014 (from 2.3% to 1.7% in 2021), and although the labour market pressure temporarily decreased due to a smaller generation in the previous decade, it is expected to increase again starting in 2025 due to a new population increase. Therefore, sufficient productive jobs must be created for the new young population entering the labour market to prevent further increase in youth unemployment, underemployment, and precarious employment.

The Egyptian government places a high value on economic growth that prioritizes job creation. Egypt initiated several significant structural reforms in 2016, forming the basis for achieving the national implementation plan of the 2030 Agenda, known as the Egypt Vision 2030. Despite the large number of job seekers, businesses lament the shortage of competent specialists; therefore, the Technical Education 2.0 reform (TE 2.0) is considered as one of five steps to enable the transformation of the Egyptian economy. With the TE 2.0 reform, the MoETE has thus been focusing on the labour market and on thoroughly improving the quality of the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system since 2018. To impart relevant technical skills, technical education students must be offered labour market-oriented training programmes for occupational disciplines that offer employment opportunities within a green economy. Furthermore, the current TVET system lacks adequate instruction in environmental skills that would sensitize technical education students to environmental and climate preservation, essential as a foundation for future employment within the green economy. The MoETE has demonstrated its attention to this issue by proposing specific measures to enhance environmental skills, notably within secondary schools.

The effects of the predecessor module EPP III include a transition process from school to employment that is more aligned with the demands of the labour market. In the academic year 2021/22, 4,255 students at 38 schools in eight governorates benefitted from the improved services provided by Transition-to-Employment Units (TTEUs). By piloting a pre-orientation camp, an instrument was created to raise awareness among preparatory school students and their parents about employment opportunities through technical education.

EPP IV aims to achieve the following module objective: The Egyptian TVET system prepares technical education students for the job market in an economy that is transforming into a Green Economy.