CAIRO – Ashraf Abo Arafe
Switzerland, in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will finance a project that seeks to enhance the technical skills of 500 young women and men in Egypt and help boost their employability.
The project will be launched on 24th of September 2018 and will upgrade the capacity of Sewedy Technical Academy in Cairo’s 10th of Ramadan City. The academy is specialized in three fields: industrial electronics, energy and power components, and mechanics, maintenance and repair. It currently hosts 200 students. By the end of the project, in 2021, the academy’s capacity will have expanded to host 500 students. The project seeks to boost women’s enrolment at the academy.
Three elements define the upgrading that will take place: supporting the curriculum and development of examinations at the academy and their accreditation and training teachers; upgrading the school’s administration to attract more students; and support access of women to the capacity building opportunities. This upgrade will first be implemented on one of the academy’s three fields of specializations then expanded to the other fields.
The project is part of the EBRD’s regional programme on economic inclusion. Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) supports programme activities in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan with 2.75 million Swiss francs.
“Bridging the gap between technical education and employment has great potential for creating a strong middle class in Egypt. This project is an example of effective partnership with the private sector to enhance employability of the workforce. This is an important strategic priority for Egypt, and women’s participation is of course part and parcel of it,” said Paul Garnier, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Egypt.
The project falls under Switzerland’s cooperation strategy in Egypt for the period of 2017–2020. Switzerland supports Egypt’s comprehensive reform agenda as set out in the 2030 Egypt Vision. Switzerland and Egypt look back on almost 40 years of successful bilateral development cooperation. 
