CAIRO: While Egypt may have abundant local talent and a large labor force, the problems and shortcomings of the public education system need to be addressed in order to create a future generation of leaders. During a workshop entitled "Management 2.0: The next generation of corporate leaders, sponsored by Vodafone at the Euromoney Egypt Conference Wednesday, market insiders complained that the education system does not build the personal and technical skills of Egyptian youth. From a governmental point of view, Assem Ragab, forthcoming chairman of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) said, "Education is a trend that is changing. It may take a while, but several initiatives are being launched to this end. The "Home Sweet Home campaign launched by GAFI last year addresses Egyptian professionals abroad, especially in the US and UK, informing them about what's happening in their home country to encourage them to return. "We told them about what is going on in Egypt and encouraged them to come back and apply their talent in the local market, Ragab said. The campaign spoke to those working in middle and upper management, raising their awareness about the goings-on in Egypt and calling on the second generation born overseas to come and apply their skills in the emerging market. Egyptian residents, on the other hand, are faced with a tough choice: either access private education - with its rising costs - or be ill-equipped to work in evolving professional market. "A positive aspect is that a lot of international schools and universities are currently applying modern standards, but the public education system still lacks [the teaching of] soft and personal skills, which as an employer, I say, is needed, said Hany Mahmoud, vice president of corporate affairs and human resources at Vodafone Egypt. The vision is not completely bleak, especially with the communication opportunities and globalization. "The young generation can be open to the whole world through the internet and television, something that was not available to us 20 years ago, Mahmoud said. Nevertheless, the hiring rate is still 60-40 in favor of graduates of private education, said Akram Tinawi, corporate banking director at Barclays Bank Egypt. As the economy continues to grow, there will be an increasing need of talented, skilled professionals, creating a chronic problem. "We cannot be a country with a population of 70 million and [have] multinational companies still importing talent from abroad to run them, Tinawi said. Without a doubt, Egyptians who get the chance to work in multinationals make more money and enjoy better benefits. Both private and multinational companies are competing to attract the same people, Mahmoud said. As a result - and coupled with inflation - fresh graduates are getting paid double what they used to while top-level management are getting paid four to five times more. Nevertheless, Ragab argues that "income is not everything and even if the government cannot pay these salaries there is still a "challenge and patriotic duty to compensate for the difference. The government should start organizing public employment fairs to fill their job openings and make their vacancies available to more people. Private companies also have a role to play in training public as well as private school graduates. Vodafone launched an initiative named "Madrasty (Arabic for my school) to renovate schools and train educators. Moreover, banks are studying the idea of establishing training centers to empower the workforce with the necessary knowledge and skills they need in the professional market.
