There's more to training centres than computer and language skills, discovers Mai Samih The last decade witnessed an increase in the rate of unemployment in Egypt. According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, unemployment reached 11.9 per cent in 2011, most of which were youth. With an increasing number of youths graduating and a decreasing hope of ever getting a job, some have started to address the problem. Adel Roshdi, the financial development manager of the Youth Bishopric at the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchy, has been working on training youth for future jobs. "We have been focussing on youth issues since 1994 to guarantee a better future for Egypt," Roshdi said. The training, Roshdi said, was the brainchild of Bishop Moussa, who aimed at training youth on professional skills, hence solving their financial problems. This also provides them with job opportunities with the help of businessmen. According to Roshdi, the project aims at raising awareness, changing youths' way of thinking and training them on computer and business skills like feasibility studies as well as crafts. It would also help them sell their products in fairs organised in churches. The training project was subjected to several studies to improve its quality. "We found that just providing a job is not enough and that anyone looking for a job should join a training course," says Roshdi. The project is based on a course for college and technical school graduates and lasts for three days in which students are taught how to write a proper CV and are given an introduction to labour laws, social skills and creative thinking. Graduates must pass oral and written exams on these subjects. If their grade is at least 70 per cent they will get the job. There is also a seven-week complementary course in which lecturers will help students understand the needs of society, followed by a field trip to teach them crafts or a visit to a factory, then a meeting with the owner to convey his experience. "There will be an extension in the near future in which they will teach youth the English language and computer skills," added Roshdi. The course lasts 12 days with an admission test. A course costs between LE2,000-3,000 but parents pay only LE30 which is refundable by the end of the course provided that a student is persistent. Students are given incentives of up to LE600 if they are progressing, as well as a certificate of experience from the company where they train in. "There are also plans for the organisation to work in Upper Egypt to help other NGOs to follow our model," says Bassem Maher, executive manager of the National Egyptian Development Association (NEDA). Engi Abdullah, youth awareness specialist at NEDA, gives an account of how her organisation started empowering youth. "NEDA was founded in 2006 by a group of businessmen concerned with youth unemployment after the businessmen faced difficulties in choosing youth for vacancies due to their lack of skills," said Abdullah. NEDA aims to empower youth and assist them to cater to the work market. It has also been training local NGOs such as the Maadi youth training centre to follow its example, she added. According to Abdullah, this process occurs in three phases: the first is teaching youth professional awareness such as time management, social contact, punctuality and soft skills. The second is specialised theoretical training in what youth want to work in. For example, if a young man would like to work as a salesman he is given a marketing and persuasion course. But before that he attends an interview with someone already working in the field to make sure he can work in that field. After that, they undergo a three-month practical training course supervised by professional training companies which NEDA closely monitors. As for the third phase Maher said they call it youth empowerment. Members of the board of trustees are basically businessmen who allow youth to train in their companies for thee months. "Seventy eight per cent of NEDA beneficiaries have been employed so far," he added. Despite advertising in churches, mosques and youth centres, it is the families that NEDA are trying to reach. "We try to persuade families to send their children for training as some families hesitate to send their daughters." Monir Fakhri, senior training director at Support Education Training for Inclusion (SETTI), an NGO seeking to empower youth with special needs and integrating them in the work market, says the first phase is assessment and the second is training. "We accept young children as well as youths and assess their skills then start to build on these acquired skills. We train them on different crafts like printing (silk screen), making furniture and soap and perfume," Fakhri said. Trainees will then be sent to environments similar to real life before they start to work. Fakhri says SETTI has been working for 15 years since 2007. "They chose this field because the employment chances of youth with special needs are rare. We design our own syllabus and have an evaluation system every two years," Fakhri added. According to Roshdi, the government should give youth hope and enable them to participate in governmental organisations such as the presidency so that they could be decision makers in the future. The educational system should be developed from theoretical to practical education and agreements should be made with countries like Indonesia to train youth who study there in their senior years on crafts. Maher agrees and said that our educational system produces graduates unable to cope with their jobs or to solve problems. "We are looking forward to working with the government and Egyptian universities. If there are businessmen looking for experienced employees they can contact us. All they have to do is provide a chance for youth to train in their companies." Fakhri also called on the government to activate the five per cent work margin for youth with special needs and to integrate them into society.
