Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) has rolled out an expanded nationwide internship programme aimed at training over 10,000 university students in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital arts, and cloud computing. The programme, launched in collaboration with the National Telecommunications Institute (NTI) and Motorola Solutions' local distributor Systel, is part of the government's broader push to equip youth with future-ready skills aligned with labour market needs, ITIDA said in a statement a statement shared with Amwal Al Ghad English on Thursday. Open to students in engineering, computer science, information systems, media, and art faculties, the new internship offers 120 hours of training — including 90 hours of technical instruction and 30 hours focused on soft skills and freelancing fundamentals. Courses are delivered online and through NTI campuses and Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs (Creativa Centres) across the country. "The revamped programme was redesigned to meet evolving labour market needs and the skill demands of local and international employers." ITIDA said, highlighting eight specialised tracks, including data analytics, UI/UX design, systems administration, and digital marketing. Students participating in the programme can access international certification exams at discounted rates of up to 70 per cent, helping boost their employability in domestic and international markets. Separately, a more specialised track developed with Systel will train 250 students annually in advanced telecommunications technologies such as microwave, satellite, and fibre optics communications, as well as public safety networks. The hands-on programme is sponsored by Systel as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, while ITIDA covers the non-technical training component. With more than 760,000 university graduates each year — including 50,000 in ICT fields and nearly a third in STEM — Egypt is positioning itself as a key regional hub for digital services and business process outsourcing. The programme is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology's broader strategy to train half a million professionals by the end of 2025 in emerging technology domains. Applications are open and free of charge via ITIDA's official website. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
