The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Menoufia University on November 18 inaugurated a new Center for Career Development to help prepare students for the workforce and connect them with jobs. The Menoufia University Center will provide opportunities for students to explore paths to successful careers in established industries, to improve their skills, and to network with Egypt’s leading companies.
At the inauguration ceremony, USAID/Egypt’s Director for Education and Health, Wick Powers, said, “At Menoufia University, USAID is matching the power of Menoufia’s high-caliber academics with the efficiency of professional skills training. The result is graduates who are qualified and competitive for jobs at companies in Menoufia and throughout Egypt. The training also equips young people with the tools to connect with these companies and market themselves effectively, meaning they find jobs more quickly.”
The new Center for Career Development at Menoufia University is the newest of 20 career centers being launched through the USAID-led $20.8 million partnership. What began as a pilot project in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and the American University in Cairo has now expanded to nine universities in Egypt. These Career Centers will eventually reach 70% of public university students, helping them pursue successful professional careers.
The Centers for Career Development provide students with career mentoring and training in skills such as leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship. The centers also track evolving labor market needs to inform university curricula and establish key networks and linkages between universities and the private sector.
USAID’s support of career development centers is part of the $30 billion that the American people have invested in Egypt through USAID since 1978. To find out more about USAID’s work in Egypt, please see http://bit.ly/2KEYMZ6, and follow on Facebook and Twitter at @USAIDEgypt.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy - Cairo.
