CAIRO: Business leaders in Egypt celebrated the launch of the acclaimed Young Arab Leaders (YAL) organization's country office in Egypt last week. "[YAL] is an organization that strives for change and development in the society, it does not give out charity but promotes thinking and prepares people to be able to create progress, change and development, said Egypt's Minister of Investment, Mahmoud Mohieldin in his keynote address at the event. Mohieldin said the Ministry of Investment will be working with YAL particularly on projects related to education and coaching young leaders. He explained that while the government will always give its support to such programs, the private sector must play a role under the concept of corporate social responsibility. YAL was founded five years ago during the World Economic Forum in Jordan under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Dubai. The non-profit organization aims to provide Arab youth with programs and training opportunities to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to secure employment and to establishing their own businesses as young entrepreneurs. "Arab countries need to constantly develop their education systems to respond to the rapidly changing globalized marketplace requirements, Omar Bin Sulaiman, chairman of YAL and governor of the Dubai International Financial Center, said, "but civil society organizations and the business community should not sit on the fence. "It's time we come together in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world alongside our governments to deliver our social responsibilities by empowering our single link to the future, the youth, with quality education and entrepreneurship opportunities, he added. "YAL is 500 success stories that want to give back to their societies, said Assem Kabesh, CEO of YAL and board member of the Dubai International Financial Center Authority, referring to the 500 members of YAL around the Arab World. Kabesh explained that YAL is on the frontline in the battle against unemployment in the Arab World and they aim to develop labor market oriented programs that equip Arab youth with necessary skills and knowledge. Although YAL only celebrated the launch of its Egypt office last week, it has had projects in the country before including the Learning for Life program in which 2,000 Egyptian university students joined. The program works on bridging the gap between the academic background of the students and the skills needed in the market. It is held in association with the Career Development Office at Cairo University and the Career Development Center at Ain Sham University. "We are glad to partner with YAL in creating opportunities that pave the way for Egyptian students to join the job market. We believe that Learning for Life will arm university students and fresh graduates with skills required for securing jobs in today's competitive marketplace, said Ahmed Badrawi, director of Business Development at SODIC, the sponsor of the program in Egypt. A panel discussion titled "Beyond Classroom Walls was held in which attendees addressed the gap between the needs of the market and the graduating talents. Mohieldin stressed on the need to have a career advisory service. "Students should go for what they want not where their grades would get them, he said, speaking of his own personal experience of getting a high grade in Thanaweya Amma and not applying to engineering but to the faculty of economics. "Graduates have to also be flexible in their professional life; they don't necessarily have to work in the field they've studied, he added.
