The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has celebrated the graduation of students at WE Schools for Applied Technology from Samsung Innovation Campus in coding and programming, under the auspices of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).
The program is aimed to train students for the labor market by developing their professional skills and promoting competencies and technological skills.
Samsung, in cooperation with Telecom Egypt and under the auspices of MCIT, designed and implemented a distinguished training program in coding and programming for about 973 students in the laboratories of WE Schools for Applied Technology in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Suez, Dakahlia, and Minya, from April 13 to October 9.
Last year, 193 students from WE Schools for Applied Technology were trained, bringing the total number of Samsung Innovation Campus’ trainees to 1,166 students, under the supervision of a team of about 90 trainers and coordinators.
In his remarks, the ICT Minister emphasized that WE Schools for Applied Technology have been established to change the stereotype about technical education and prepare technicians who understand the significance of knowledge, science, and technology and are able to apply and adapt them. He pointed out that these schools have succeeded in achieving their vision due to the fruitful collaboration between MCIT, the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, Telecom Egypt, and the private sector.
Talaat added that WE Schools for Applied Technology were established in line with MCIT capacity-building strategy. The pillars of the strategy are: 1. inclusion, as seven schools are currently deployed nationwide; 2. specialization, by upskilling students in disciplines most in demand in the present and future labor markets; 3. partnerships with major multinationals specialized in providing the latest high technological programs, laboratories, and devices; and 4. pairing technical training with building soft skills, strengthening language skills, and hosting trainees at multinationals to gain practical experience.
The ICT Minister praised the cooperation among all elements of the ICT sector, adding that the public sector, represented by MCIT and its affiliates, collaborated with civil society organizations and multinationals operating in Egypt.
The Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt Adel Hamed stated that Telecom Egypt is fulfilling its social responsibility by supporting and developing the technical education system in Egypt through WE Schools for Applied Technology. The schools prepare a pool of qualified technical calibers capable of competing in the local, regional, and international ICT markets. He added that telecom Egypt’s partnership with Samsung is a significant step to equip students with state-of-the-art technologies and enhance their ability to compete strongly in the labor market.
The Head of the Central Administration for the Development of Technical Education, and Director of the Operation and Management Unit for Applied Technology Schools Amr Bosaila commended the constructive and fruitful cooperation between the Ministry of Education and MCIT in the WE Schools for Applied Technology project. It started in 2020 with one school in Cairo, to reach seven schools specializing in ICT, in 2022 in seven governorates: Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Dakahlia, Suez, Minya, and the New Valley. WE Schools now have more than 2,100 students and 165 teachers.
For his part, CMO at Samsung Electronics Egypt Ahmed Gaafar said that the partnership among Samsung Egypt, MCIT and Telecom Egypt is aimed to train over 1,000 students from WE Schools for Applied Technology in coding and programming. The partnership reflects all parties’ interest in building a talent pool to keep pace with global developments in various technology fields and prepare youth for the labor market to be a driving force for the national economy.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy ICT Minister for Institutional Development Ghada Labib, the Deputy ICT Minister for Infrastructure Raafat Hindy, the Chairman of Egypt Post Sherif Farouk, the Assistant ICT Minister for Global Information Infrastructure (GII) Mohamed Nasr Eldin, Chairman of the Board of Life Makers Egypt Mohsen Al-Nomani, General Manager of the National Academy for Science and Skills (NASS) David Nabil, and several officials from MCIT and Telecom Egypt.
It is worth noting that the WE Schools project kicked off in 2020, within the framework of MCIT capacity-building strategy and its vision to build digital capabilities and prepare a pool of qualified technical calibers with the highest efficiency and quality, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.
WE Schools aim to bridge the divide between theoretical education and the actual needs of the labor market and provide practical training in laboratories and workshops equipped with the latest technological devices and technologies. This is in addition to providing field training for students within the technical sites of Telecom Egypt and its affiliates to provide students with the technical skills required to prepare a professional technician who can fit in today’s workplace and join the labor market.
