Egypt and Italy have signed a third agreement worth EGP 40.8m that will increase the number of applied technology schools in Egypt. Involved in the agreement signing were Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Education Tarek Shawky, and Italian Ambassador in Cairo, Giampaolo Cantini. The new project aims to enhance technical education following on from work already carried out by the Ministry of Education, which has seen 11 applied technology schools opened in under two years. The schools were opened in collaboration with major industrial companies and educational institutions in Egypt. The Italian backed project looks to enroll 130,000 students in the technical schools, in addition to training more than 3,000 teachers and administrative staff by 2030. Minister Al-Mashat underlined the importance of the project in serving the fourth goal of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which is to provide quality education. Shawky praised the Italian side's confidence in Egypt, highlighting the key role the project plays in giving youth the education and qualifications to join the labour market and create new jobs. The Ministry of Education and Technical Education is looking to introduce 10 applied technology schools every year, Deputy Minister Mohamed Megahed told local media. The eventual goals is to have 100 of these schools across Egypt by 2030. Megahed also told local media, “Egypt will not achieve development without skilled technical experts who are qualified to serve the industrial sector." He added that the ministry has succeeded in attracting excellent industrial partners to jointly train students.
