Through the Widening Opportunities for Youth Employability programme we have worked to improve employment opportunities for young people across Egypt and Tunisia.
Operating in an unstable political context, we have successfully developed three interlinking strands: entrepreneur and work-based development, changing perceptions of skills and building employer engagement.
Encouraging entrepreneurs
With support from partners in the corporate sector, entrepreneur training has been delivered to 4,500 young people and an enterprise award scheme has involved 850 individuals in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Boosting business
An initiative to encourage and support new small businesses has brought together 17 key partners, engaged over 300 young entrepreneurs and created 71 new enterprises.
Influencing national strategy
With policy makers and employers, an apprenticeship model has been established in Egypt and a strategic paper aimed at government has been drawn up, outlining a plan to train and employ 100,000 young people.
Raising the profile of TVET
Our approach to changing perceptions of skills involves a highly popular social networking initiative for young people, which has attracted over 30,000 followers.
Alongside this, facilitated discussions at a senior level have encouraged policy makers and education leaders to consider how to raise the status and profile of TVET.
Getting employers involved
Business leaders in the region have partnered with UK sector skills organisations and colleges and through capacity building, curriculum development and exchange programmes the project has reached over 5,600 people.