United States announces $14.5m to prepare Egyptian University Students for Career Success
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will be providing an additional $14.5 million to prepare Egyptian university students for career success. The funding, which brings total U.S. government investment in Career Centers to $33 million, will establish 30 Centers for Career Development at 22 public universities throughout Egypt by 2025. When complete, these Centers for Career Development will serve 70% of all Egyptian public university students — approximately 1.5 million students.
Through these Career Centers, the U.S. government has brought the concept of career guidance and counseling to public university scholars and graduates for the first time in Egypt. In partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the American University in Cairo (AUC), and public university partners, the U.S. government has so far opened 16 Centers at 10 universities across Egypt, from Alexandria to Aswan, and served 150,000 students. Even during the pandemic, these Centers have found innovative ways to train students in communication and leadership skills and introduce them to key employers in their community.
U.S. Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen announced the additional funding during the virtual Career Expo organized by AUC and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education. “With this additional $14.5 million U.S. government investment, we’re helping students transition from education to employment in direct coordination with the private sector so that a new generation of Egyptians can parlay their academic studies into meaningful employment, cutting-edge research, and future leadership roles at Egypt’s premier companies,” he said.
The virtual Career Expo gave 6,000 public university students an opportunity to meet with employers from dozens of Egypt’s leading companies in a COVID-safe online environment.
The U.S. government is committed to strengthening education in Egypt. Over the past four decades, the United States has built more than 2,000 schools, trained over 100,000 teachers, provided more than $350 million in scholarships and academic exchanges, and has supported over 70,000 students in secondary and vocational schools so they can succeed in the labor force.
U.S. economic assistance to Egypt through USAID, totaling over $30 billion since 1978, promotes a healthy, educated, and employed population. To find out more about USAID’s work, please see https://www.usaid.gov/egypt, and follow along on Facebook and Twitter at @USAIDEgypt.
