First – The most important
points from the conference held regarding the official cancellation of old
technical diplomas in Egypt:
The conference, held on Friday
and Saturday, focused on the future of technical education in Egypt and the
Mediterranean region. It was attended by ministers and delegations from 13
countries. The most important features revealed by the minister regarding the
future of technical education in Egypt can be summarized as follows:
1. Eliminating certain
specializations – any specialization that is not adaptable and is not in demand
in the market.
2. Merging and developing
certain specializations – specializations that can be merged and developed
according to market mechanisms.
3. Upon graduation, students
will receive a technological secondary school diploma plus an international
certificate from an international examination body.
4. Expanding partnerships with
the local and international private sector – through internal partnerships,
twinning programs, or external partnerships.
5. How to accredit student
graduation certificates so that they are internationally recognized and valid
for employment both domestically and abroad.
6. Technical schools will
become technological secondary schools implementing the technological
baccalaureate. This will involve modern specializations, a greater number of
exams, and improved learning, ensuring that graduates are job-ready and possess
the necessary skills.
7. An agreement to employ
graduates in factories and companies owned by Egyptian or foreign investors
operating in Egypt or in their investments outside Egypt. Those who do not wish
to work can continue their studies at a technological university.
8. Expansion of
modern specializations such as business administration, accounting, computer
science, programming, artificial intelligence, or modern technical
specializations, including automotive manufacturing, aircraft maintenance,
solar energy, gold mining, petroleum, cybersecurity, business administration,
and programming.
• Second – Response to the
conference held regarding the official cancellation of old technical diplomas
in Egypt:
Before responding:
1. It is important to
emphasize that the move towards technological secondary education and linking
education to the labor market is a successful global trend. Its success in
countries like Germany and Singapore relied on building an integrated system, not
merely changing names or curricula.
2. Technological secondary
education in Egypt: between legitimate aspirations and the requirements of
implementation. Is developing technical education in Egypt sufficient by
changing names, or do we need to build an integrated system for the labor market?
Response:
International experiences confirm that the
success of the transformation is not achieved by simply changing the name of
the educational stage or updating some specializations, but rather by building
an integrated system that includes five main pillars:
1. Infrastructure
and equipment: Technological education relies on smart laboratories, workshops,
simulators, and modern industrial equipment that aligns with what is used in
the real production sector.
2. Preparing and qualifying
human resources: The trainer and the teacher are the cornerstone of any
educational reform. The transition to technological education requires
retraining teachers, trainers, and school administrations according to the
latest global standards.
3. A unified national body to
manage the labor market: Successful systems worldwide rely on an independent
supreme body or council that manages the relationship between education,
training, employment, the economy, and investment. This body also works to
anticipate future professions and identify actual market needs.
4. Institutional integration
between education, training, and the labor market: True transformation is not
limited to signing protocols with the private sector. It requires a permanent
collaborative system linking education and training institutions, technological
universities, vocational training centers, investors, the private sector,
economic and investment bodies, planning agencies, and the labor market. This
ensures that specializations are based on the needs of the national economy,
not on arbitrary decisions.
5. A system of accreditation,
quality assurance, and professional licensing: Granting international
certifications or connecting graduates to the global labor market requires an
independent national body for accreditation, quality assurance, and professional
licensing. This body would be responsible for accrediting programs,
institutions, trainers, and trainees according to international standards and
ensuring the sustainability of the quality of graduates.
Current problems:
1. Weak connection to the
labor market – weak societal recognition of professions.
2. High unemployment among
graduates – a weak balance between supply and demand.
3. Shortage of specialized
technical skills – absence of a professional licensing system.
4. Weak alignment with
economic needs – over-reliance on traditional academic pathways.
5. Inadequate market analysis
and the availability of vocational studies, coupled with poor forecasting of
current and future job opportunities.
6. Inadequate bridging of the
skills gap between the labor market and graduates, coupled with weak
coordination between the market and technical education.
Third – In Conclusion:
1. The need is to build a
national system for managing human capital and the labor market, a topic that
still requires much discussion.
2. Developing technical
education does not begin with changing the name of the certificate, but rather
with building an integrated system that links education, training, the labor
market, the economy, and investment, under unified institutional leadership
capable of anticipating future jobs.
3. Developing technical
education is not merely an educational project, but a comprehensive economic,
investment, and developmental project. The stronger the link between education,
training, the labor market, and investment, the higher the productivity of the
national economy and the better the country's attractiveness to local and
foreign investment.
Strategic Objectives:
1. Governance of training
institutions in conjunction with the labor market.
2. Participatory management of
national human capital.
3. Participation in designing
pathways for various specializations.
4. A system for developing
human capital, skills, and future leaders.
5. A national system that
links training with the acquisition of skills for the labor market.
6. Working to bridge the
skills gap between training outputs and market needs. 7. Dealing with the human
being as a supply chain that begins with the family and ends with the labor
market.
Research and preparation by
Badr Al-Din Ahmed
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