Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education, Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum witnessed the graduation ceremony

This was attended by Dr. Ayman Bahaa El-Din, Deputy Minister, Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Development and Director of the Operation and Management Unit of Applied Technology Schools, Eng. Mohamed El-Sewedy, Vice President of El-Sewedy Electric Company, Dr. Emanuela Colombo, Commissioner of the President of the Polytechnic University of Milan for Scientific Policy Affairs, Dr. Hanan El-Rehani, Secretary General of El-Sewedy Foundation and CEO of El-Sewedy Technology Company, Mr. Francesco Caspari, General Manager of Eni Egypt (Eioc), Dr. Mona Ayoub, Director of the Vocational Training Department at the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Taher El-Gharbawy, Director of the Education Directorate in Port Said, and a number of members of the People's Assembly in the governorate.

At the beginning of his speech, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif expressed his happiness to attend this distinguished ceremony, stressing that it is not only a celebration of the graduation of students from Zohr School of Applied Technology, but also a celebration of the outcome of a proactive vision that the Egyptian government has realized in its ambitious plan and future projects to build a better future for today's and tomorrow's generation.

The Minister of Education stressed that the Egyptian state has paid unprecedented attention to education and its issues, and this was clearly and evident in the support and interest of the political leadership represented by His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, explaining that since the state developed its plan to develop the education system in general, in which it emphasized the importance of technical and vocational education in particular, to be a bridge through which one can cross to broader horizons and integrate with the various and changing requirements of the labor market, and this change was the beginning of a path that began with changing the societal view of technical and vocational education, leading to the expansion of the types and fields of applied technology schools.

Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif said: “Today, we are witnessing the graduation of a batch of students from the Zohr School of Applied Technology for the academic year 2023/2024, which is a distinguished model with a unique specialization that embodies a constructive alliance between the public and private sectors and an educational edifice that combines building knowledge and enriching skills. Today, we are on the threshold of a real development with its Egyptian identity, as it witnesses an integration between modern technology and the authenticity of heritage, and we participate together in building a generation that echoes (with knowledge and work, life is complete), relying on teachers who build bridges between minds and hearts and educational edifices in which every student is not only a learner, but a beacon of hope, establishing a better future and a guardian of civilization and history.” At the end of his speech, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif appreciated the honor of Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, for this important event. He also expressed his happiness with the honor of Major General Moheb Habashi Khalil, Governor of Port Said, and his great interest in developing and following up on the educational system, and his support for the Ministry's efforts in implementing its various initiatives in the valiant Port Said Governorate. He also extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to Eng. Mohamed El-Suwaidi for his sincere efforts in establishing successful partnerships that contribute to advancing the technical education system in Egypt, and presenting a distinguished model of fruitful cooperation between the government and the private sector.

The Minister of Education also thanked everyone who contributed to the success of this distinguished batch, the school administration, faculty members, and trainers who presented an honorable model of dedication and loyalty, and all partners from the government and private sectors who contributed to supporting this pioneering system, and proved that concerted efforts are the way to improve the level of educational services provided to our students, as well as all those in charge of organizing this important event, and its emergence in this honorable manner.

For his part, Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, delivered a speech in which he stressed that the initiative to establish the Zohr School of Applied Technology represents an important start to investing in preparing human competencies that represent the pillar of development and the energy industry, in addition to being one of the fruits of the integrated work with the Ministry of Education and the Italian company Eni, the strategic partner of the petroleum sector, and the El Sewedy Foundation. The school, which bears the name of the Zohr gas field, is an extension of the efforts of successful integrated work in this field since its discovery and the start of its production in record time in 2017, which would not have been achieved without the technical human competencies that we celebrate today with the graduation of the first batch of them from the Zohr School. The Minister thanked the initiative's partners for the success of the integrated cooperative work, whether the integration at the government level with the Ministry of Education, and with the Italian company Eni, which has enjoyed a strategic partnership with Egypt for about 70 years and plays an important role in the Egyptian energy sector and has supported it at all times, in addition to its many contributions to sustainable development, and the integration of the Egyptian private sector represented by the Elsewedy Foundation, praising the successful cooperation system from the petroleum sector represented by EGAS and Petrobel and all companies participating in community development. The Minister also thanked the members of Parliament for the successful cooperative work with the petroleum sector. Engineer Karim Badawi addressed a speech to the graduates, stressing that there is a great responsibility on their shoulders, expressing his aspiration for their efforts that will lead us to great successes in the future, expressing his full confidence that they will become successful leaders in the future, and thanking the graduates and their families.

During his speech, Major General Moheb Habashi, Governor of Port Said, welcomed the attendees, stressing that the ministers' attendance of this event reflects the interest of the Egyptian state, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, in advancing the educational process, especially technical education, extending thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, for their fruitful and constructive cooperation in establishing and developing the Dahr School in Port Said, which represents a breakthrough in the field of technical education institutions, as it includes all the necessary educational and technical equipment according to the highest international standards in technical education and specialized vocational training, and provides qualified and trained generations capable of keeping pace with the requirements and challenges of the labor market.

The Governor also thanked the Italian Eni Foundation and the El-Sewedy Foundation for Educational Services, for their efforts in implementing community development initiatives that contribute strongly to supporting the efforts of the Egyptian state, which is positively reflected in providing specialized labor for major industrial, investment and petroleum projects.

The governor said that the Egyptian state is adopting a national strategy to establish the foundations of a non-standard technical education system that depends on providing an applied environment for curricula that simulates the labor market in various specializations, and qualifying human cadres and raising their efficiency and readiness technically, technically and technologically, in line with the successive developments in various fields, in addition to improving the skills of those in charge of the educational process.

In his speech, the Italian Ambassador to Egypt, Michele Korani, expressed his happiness with his visit to Port Said, praising the cooperation with the Ministers of Education and Petroleum and the Governor of Port Said, saying: "We have been waiting for this day that witnesses the graduation of students, girls and boys, from the Zohr School of Applied Technology," stressing the Italian side's commitment to supporting girls' education.

The ambassador explained that the Applied Technology Schools project is a priority for the government and the Italian embassy, ​​within the framework of bilateral cooperation between Italy and Egypt, and the signing of a protocol to enhance technical education and vocational training in Egypt.

The Ambassador also discussed areas of cooperation in developing technical education, including the Don Bosco schools in Alexandria and Cairo, which aim to provide high-quality technical and vocational education to Egyptian youth, and focus on the importance of equipping students with the practical skills and technical knowledge necessary for the labor market, noting that the Zohr School of Applied Technology represents a successful model of this cooperation between the two governments and the private sector.

The Ambassador explained that such initiatives contribute to supporting Egyptian economic growth by qualifying youth for the labor market, stressing the importance of cooperating with the Ministry of Education to expand the scope of these schools in other governorates, with the aim of empowering youth and preparing them for the future.

At the end of his speech, the Italian Ambassador congratulated the students on their academic achievements, wishing them to benefit from what they have learned for the benefit of their country and its economy. He also thanked the students' families for their continuous support for their children.

For her part, Hanan Al-Rihani, Secretary General of Al-Suwaidi Electric Foundation and CEO of Al-Suwaidi Technical Academy, explained that the foundation has been working for years to train and qualify the largest number of young people, according to an ambitious plan that benefits society and is characterized by its continuous impact.

She pointed out that the strategy of Al-Suwaidi Technical Academy works on how to link education to the needs of the labor market and focus on employment rates and qualifying young people for the labor market, through cooperation with the Ministry of Education, with which we have a strong relationship, and that today we celebrate the fruits of our collective success, expressing her pride in the presence of a large number of girls today enrolled in technical education, which proves that technical education is on the right track.

She added that the training for employment program has been expanded, noting that Al-Suwaidi Technological University has been established in line with the idea of ​​​​Dhahr School in Port Said, and 60 male and female students have enrolled in the program, and scholarships have been provided to them, and that work is underway to operate new schools that work with the European Union, such as Damietta El Alamein School, which will be operated next year, with the aim of providing job opportunities for young people in the future.

The celebration witnessed the screening of a film A documentary titled "Zohr" included a detailed presentation about the school, its departments, workshops and laboratories where students are trained.

The celebration also witnessed the honoring of graduating students and the delivery of their graduation certificates.

It is worth noting that the total number of students graduating today from "Zohr School of Applied Technology" affiliated to the North Education Administration in Port Said Governorate is 241 male and female students. The school includes 35 classes, 12 classes for the first grade, 12 classes for the second grade, and 11 classes for the third grade.

The school comes within the framework of community participation, under the supervision of the Ministries of Education and Technical Education, and Petroleum and Mineral Resources, in coordination with the school's industrial partner, "El Sewedy Technical Academy", "Eni Italian", "Egas Holding Company", and "Petroleum Petroleum Company".

The "Zohr Applied Technology School" includes 5 departments, including specializations in maintenance and operation of energy equipment, electrical maintenance, networks and information security, logistics, and maintenance of light vehicles.

On the sidelines of the celebration, the Ministers of Education and Technical Education, Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Governor of Port Said and the Italian Ambassador inspected the "Zohr Center for Excellence", which aims to enhance the technical skills of young people to improve job opportunities in the Port Said region through good technical education and vocational training, in addition to meeting the industry's needs for qualified workers.

The "Zohr Center for Excellence" also works to monitor the needs of the labor market on a regular basis and take into account their compatibility between supply and demand in the labor market, in addition to young people receiving high-quality education and training.