The Minister of Education witnesses the opening ceremony of the training camp for students of the International Schools of Applied Technology
Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education, witnessed the opening of the training camp for students of the International Applied Technology Schools (IATS), in cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the Workforce Egypt project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the relevant partners from the public and private business sectors, under the slogan “ “Your dream is our dream” in the Education City in 6th of October.
This came in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Megahed, Deputy Minister for Technical Education, Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for the Development of Technical Education, Dr. Mohamed Emara, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education, Sean Jones, Director of the US Agency for International Development Mission in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Dan Marquardt, President of MTC International. Dr. Amr Soliman, Director of the International Schools Unit of the Manpower Egypt Project, Joseph Ghanem, Director of the Manpower Egypt Project, Mohamed Fawzi, Deputy of the Manpower Project, Dr. Ahmed Khalifa, CEO of CFC Feed and Chemicals, Engineer Nafi Shaaban, General Manager of Mobica, and Mona Rabat, President of the Dr. Foundation. Mounir Armanious Development, Major General Abu Bakr Al-Jundi, Chairman of the Mountain View Development Foundation, and chairmen of the boards of directors of companies and institutions, partners of success.
At the beginning of his speech, Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education, expressed his happiness with the ministry’s production of these creative Egyptian students, stressing that they are the most worthy example of achieving Egypt’s 2030 strategy. By graduating a generation capable of pluralism and competitiveness, he thanked the students, their parents, and employer partners, pointing out that the deep and extended partnership with the United States Agency for International Development and partners from the private sector has proven a great success in achieving the ministry’s goals of developing technical education.
The Minister pointed out that the International Schools of Applied Technology is the best model for improving the mental image of technical education, with its curricula and study system, teachers and students at the highest level, adding that it is characterized by conditions and standards for admission, in addition to the quality of education and the excellence of the level of graduates and the extent of their mastery of skills and competencies, directing the directors Schools prepare students well for the labor market in light of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
He also stressed that the Ministry provides many facilities for investing in education, paying attention to the quality and level of graduates in those schools, developing their skills, and paying attention to the integrated personality, cognitively, skillfully, and emotionally.
The minister said that this celebration represents one of the important events that express the extent of the Egyptian state’s interest in developing technical education in accordance with the latest international standards, and based on the Egyptian state’s belief that building the Egyptian human being is the highest goal, and that technical education is the engine of economic development.
Dr. Reda Hegazy stressed that investing in the Egyptian human being is the most important pillar of economic development in the new republic, noting that this investment has witnessed a major boom thanks to the unlimited support of His Excellency Mr. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, who places education in general and technical education in particular at the forefront. The priorities of the Egyptian state, according to a participatory scientific vision, through cooperation between all state institutions, private sector companies and civil society institutions, as well as partners from international development institutions.
The minister added that the technical education system in the new republic aims to shift towards better technical education that meets the needs of the labor market with the best international quality standards through a sustainable approach based on changing the stereotypical image of technical education.
The Minister explained that the International Schools of Applied Technology is an important model for embodying that system in one entity, in which the Ministry succeeded in mobilizing the expertise, resources and efforts of the United States Agency for International Development, business institutions, and the Egyptian and foreign private sector along with the vision, expertise and resources of the Ministry, to bring a model to light. New to manage and operate a new type of technical schools, meeting the needs of the Egyptian economy, in new specializations, based on an international competency methodology, with the highest quality standards, through distinguished teachers and competencies with experience, aiming to graduate more distinguished technical cadres, meeting the needs of the local and regional labor market. And internationally, to create together a new generation of unique Egyptian technical cadres capable of competing locally, regionally and internationally.
The Minister extended his thanks and gratitude to the main partner in the success of this model, which invented it, prepared well for it, and implemented it, noting that the United States Agency for International Development - represented by the Workforce Egypt Project - had responded to the Ministry’s call to contribute to improving the model of applied technology schools from During the establishment of (10) international schools for application technology
The Minister continued that the distinction of this model of schools is not only through equipment, construction, curricula, teachers, or management systems, but I saw that our students had acquired unique competencies in their specialty in one year, enjoyed self-confidence, and demonstrated what they had learned through communication skills. Distinguished, I felt for myself how their technical skills were combined with their ability to use modern technology and advanced devices, within a framework of commitment to standards of quality, health, and occupational safety, at the hands of distinguished teachers who were carefully selected. These students enrolled in international schools represent a new future for technical education. They summarize the meanings of Quality education, citizenship and belonging, through mature and distinguished technical cadres.
The Minister also indicated that these schools do not represent for us just a number added to the technical education schools, but they represent an engine for creating an educational model that provides quality technical education. It is universal and provides new specializations that technical education has never known before, to provide equal opportunities for distinguished education free of charge for all. The criterion for being present in it and excelling in it is competence.
At the conclusion of his speech, the Minister thanked the chairmen of the boards of directors of companies from the private sector, partners of success, and those with distinguished strategic visions, who realize that investing in technical education is an economic priority for their institutions, before it is a societal priority and a national duty. He also congratulated the students and their families, He said to them: “Your children have succeeded in passing the first step on the path to excellence, by passing numerous tests and precise standards to enroll in international schools, so that your children become international technical cadres.
For his part, Sean Jones, Director of the Mission of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Egypt, expressed his happiness at being present at this ceremony, which witnesses the beginning of a new phase in the students’ educational lives.
Sean Jones stressed that the world is changing, and we must change with it, as there is a large gap in the skills required in the labor market, and this unique experience attempts to bridge this gap to provide the skills that the private sector needs.
Sean Jones pointed out that the basis of the partnership between Egypt and the United States of America is based on the deep shared belief in the right of every person to have the opportunity for a good education.
In his speech, Joseph Ghanem, Director of the Egypt Workforce Project, expressed his happiness at the opening of the training camp today, and congratulated the students for their success in passing the admission tests to the International Applied Technology Schools (IATS), and praised the level of advanced projects and skills that students acquire in those schools, adding that it is difficult to change the social mentality. and social concepts, but students are the important tool in bringing about this change.
He also thanked the Minister of Education for his continued support and the partners from the private sector, who believed in the idea and supported this type of school.
For his part, Mohamed Fawzi, Deputy Director of the Egypt Workforce Project, stressed during his speech that the idea of the camp is to learn culture through the work team, noting that the students were well-chosen, carefully selected, trained at the highest level, and passed through a difficult stage of tests that measure tendencies and abilities. Psychological, and that some specialties are trained in the factory and the simulation environment.
Muhammad Fawzi reviewed the admission procedures for these schools, the infrastructure, the goal of the partnership, the digitized curricula, how to select and train teachers, school administration, and various activities to acquire skills.
I
As part of the activities, the Minister inspected an exhibition of projects by students from the International Schools of Applied Technology, and also watched a documentary film entitled “The Journey,” and inspiring stories from school students and parents.
The celebration included a dialogue session with representatives of the first five international schools of applied technology about the idea of schools, project ideas, evaluating the camp experience last year, and changing the community’s mental image about technical education and competency-based active learning.
It is worth noting that the International Applied Technology Schools (IATS) are the first of their kind in the field of technical education, and their number has doubled from five schools to ten schools in just one year. They are schools with advanced specializations such as teaching artificial intelligence, financial marketing, modern trade, robotics, facility management technology, and others. The first five schools will receive two batches, while the new schools will receive the first batch during this celebration, which witnesses the launch of an intensive training camp for new students to build their capabilities and prepare them for a new academic year.