Coursera — one of the world's largest online education platforms —announced the launch of its Academy for Professions on Sunday. The Academy for Professions is a new vocational training institution that aims to prepare learners — including those without a college degree or previous work experience — for jobs that will be in-demand and require specialised professional certificates from leading international companies such as Google, IBM, and Meta. Thanks to the academy, higher education institutions, governments, and companies will be able to upskill a large number of students, workers, and employees alike and re-qualify them for new professional career paths very quickly. This launch comes at a very important time for Egypt, as the state has been exerting efforts to prepare its workforce to keep pace with the transition to the digital economy, as the Egyptian government has allocated more than EGP 1.1bn to meet the increasing demand for digital skills and more than 180,000 individuals have received training within the framework of the 'Our Digital Future Initiative' that was launched by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which reflects the state's full commitment to preparing its human cadres for the requirements of the digital future. The academy will be able to attract higher-education students by offering internationally recognised certificates and various skills that would help graduates obtain jobs that are in high demand every day. Many universities and different educational institutions — including the International University of Al-Alamein (AIU) — are working on adopting Coursera's academy framework to give students the opportunity to develop the skills required to join various jobs and gain practical experience in multiple functional areas that increase their competitive experiences in the labour market. Essam Ahmed Al-Kurdi — President of Al-Alamein International University — said: "We are pleased with our partnership with Coursera and the launch of the Academy for Professions, which will help us implement our mission of preparing future leaders and human cadres capable of matching the requirements of the labour market locally, regionally, and internationally." "Thanks to this partnership, we will be able to align our educational efforts with the demands of the rapidly changing labour market by offering our students recognised degrees from leading international companies and providing practical education using effective tools that simulate reality so that students can explore career paths available to obtain training to qualify them." Learners registered with the academy can obtain the following: ● Professional certifications from world-leading companies such as Google, IBM, and Meta to qualify for 18 different positions, such as data analyst, user experience designer (UX designer), application developer, and social media marketer. ● Practical experiences through guided projects to develop the necessary skills in less than two hours, enabling students to achieve excellence when applying for jobs and while working. Through hands-on learning and interactive assessments, learners acquire essential skills by working with effective realistic tools in many areas of daily life. ● Explore the right career path with an overview of common career paths, skills requirements, and average salary compared to other jobs. Anthony Tattersall — Vice President of Coursera in the EMEA — said: "Acquiring a diverse range of accredited certifications, which prepares learners for future careers and provides clear career paths for the era of digital transformation, will be the way to bridge the skills gaps and meet the needs of the digital market. Work on the one hand, and work on economic development on the other." "Through the Coursera Career Academy, we will be able to help more learners train for the skills of high-demand and well-paid jobs and enable the next generation of Egyptians to thrive in the digital workforce."
