With the world witnessing great progress in the fields of digitization, data analysis and artificial intelligence, as these areas are likely to create up to 97 million new jobs and replace another 85 million jobs, the need for large-scale skill development is more important today than ever. In this context, Coursera, one of the world's leading online education platforms, conducted a new study to explore the motivations, needs and challenges faced by students seeking academic degrees and employers seeking to hire them. The report, conducted by Coursera in partnership with some of the world's leading universities and colleges, explores entry-level professional certification requirements and high-demand job-related skills training in degree programs with the aim of improving students' and graduates' employability. About 5,000 students and employers in 11 countries, including the Republic of Egypt, participated in the survey – which was carried out by Coursera in cooperation with the two market research companies, Dynata and Repdata. The report data shows that 98% of students in Egypt agreed that obtaining professional certificates will distinguish them from employers and help them find jobs after graduation, while 92% confirmed that professional certificates will help them achieve success in their future jobs. In light of these results, the Coursera platform witnessed a significant increase in registration rates in 2022 to obtain professional certificates from leading international companies such as Google and Meta, as these certificates, in addition to training in applied skills, contribute to providing students with the necessary skills for future jobs and joining the labour market, as well as making higher education institutions more flexible in choosing study subjects in line with the needs of the labour market. With regard to employment trends in the local market, the economic sectors in Egypt, including the manufacturing sector, have great employment opportunities for university graduates. Despite this, there is a growing expectation that the entry-level talents joining companies will already be equipped with sufficient work experience and relevant skills to perform their jobs. In this context, the Coursera study revealed that 77% of employers in Egypt believe that obtaining professional certificates supports the applications of candidates and increases their chances of obtaining jobs. Hadi Moussa, General Manager of Coursera for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: "With the various changes taking place in the labour market today, employers are looking for ready talents who possess the required digital skills, and this requires higher education institutions to integrate greater proportions of training based on Skills and job-related content within the academic curriculum prepare students for the jobs of the future." Moussa stressed that academic institutions should cooperate with governments and companies to meet the requirements of the labour market and enhance job opportunities for current and future talents in the country.
