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Egyptian Human Resource
Competitiveness |
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Availability
and Cost of Human Resources:
Availability of Human
Resources in Egypt Comparing to
other MENA Countries:
Total population in Egypt of
65 millions, constitute more
than one fifth (20.9%) of total
population living in the MENA
region in 2001.
The number of those in the
working age (15-64) is 39.8
millions, which represent 21.2%
of population in the working age
in the MENA Region.
Those participated in the labor
force are 25.2 millions,
representing 23.5% of total
labor force available in the
MENA Region.
Egypt is the highest densely
populated country in the MENA
Region, with Iran. Egypt holds
the largest population force in
the region (25.2 millions), then
Iran (20.4 millions).
More than one third of this
population (34.7%) is under15
years of age.
Besides, comparing current and
expected average annual
population and labor growth
rates in Egypt with these rates
in different regions of the
World reveals that population
current and expected growth
rates are among the highest in
the whole World, with the
exception of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Unemployment rate has increased
in Egypt from 5.7% of total
labor force during (1980-1982)
to 9.9% in 2003 comparing to
4.9% in middle-income countries
and 6.2% in high-income
countries (WB 2003).
To absorb the new entrants, the
economy would need to create
650-700 new jobs a year during
the period up till
2017(according to official
data).
Using Factor analysis-Principal
component analysis to extract
the availability of human
resources factor for MENA region
countries, it was indicated that
Egypt has the highest value of
the availability of human
resources factor (2.4), followed
by Iran (2.1), then Morocco
(0.59)
Availability of Human
Resources in Egypt Comparing to
MENA Countries
Availability of Human
Resources in Egypt Comparing to
Asian Countries
Productivity of
Labor:
Labor in Egypt is characterized
not only by low cost, but also
by low productivity. MVA per
capita in Egypt is only 26.5% of
average MVE per capita in
developing countries; 232
dollars vis a vis 876 dollars in
2001.
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Human
Capital in Egypt |
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A. Illiteracy is widespread
comparing to MENA and East and
South Asian Countries:
With the exception of Yemen
and Morocco, literacy rate in
Egypt is the lowest in the MENA
region.
Adult literacy in Egypt
(56.1%) is lower than the
average rate in MENA countries
(76.8%) by 20.7-percentage point
Adult literacy in Egypt is
very low comparing to the
average level in developing
countries (74.5%), middle-income
countries (the group to which
Egypt belongs) and even
low-income countries (86.6% and
63%) and medium human
development countries (78.1%).
With the exception of Yemen
and Morocco, Youth literacy rate
in Egypt (70.5%) is the lowest
in the MENA region.
Youth literacy rate in Egypt
is very low comparing to the
average level in developing
countries (74.5%), middle-income
countries and even low-income
countries (86.6% and 63%) and
medium human development
countries (78.1%).
Adult illiteracy is still high
in Egypt. It is higher for
female than for male. Adult and
youth literacy rates reached 55%
and 36% among females vis a vis
33% and 23% among males.
Youth illiteracy rates for
males and females are about six
times the rates in middle-income
countries (4% and 6%) (WB 2003).
In general enrollment ratios
in MENA region are low comparing
to middle income countries and
far behind high-income
countries.
Although gross enrollment
ratio in primary education is
100%, net enrollment ratio is
93%.
Total number of out school
children “children in the
official school age group who
are not enrolled in school”
increased from 585.1 thousands
in 1998/99 to 610.7 thousands in
1999/2000 (UNESCO 2002).
Secondary education is
necessary for preparing workers
with minimum requirements of the
labor market.
There are 21% of those in the
age of secondary education are
not enrolled. This means pushing
more skilled labor to the labor
market, lacking the basic
requirements of a good worker
who can upgrade his/her skills
to cope with continuous
technological changes.
Tertiary gross enrollment
ratio in Egypt reached 39%,
which is considered a high level
in the MENA countries, with
exception of Lebanon (42%),
Libya (49%) and Israel (53%).
Average public expenditure per
student in those countries is
59% of GDP per capita vis a vis
39.4% only in Egypt.
The percentage reached 89.8%
in Tunisia, 86.9% in Saudi
Arabia and 81.6% in Iran. The
value of public expenditure per
student in Egypt is only $1432.2
which is 34.2% the average
value, 0.3, 0.4, 0.14, 0.25 and
0.23 the value of public
expenditure per student in Iran,
Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia
and Israel respectively. It is
0.42 and 0.18 its value in China
and Malaysia
Literacy Rate in Egypt
Comparing To MENA Countries 2001
Youth Literacy Rate
Adult Literacy Rate
Literacy
Rate in Egypt Comparing Asian
Countries 2001
Youth Literacy Rate
Adult Literacy Rate
B. The
Education Index:
The education index
measures a country’s relative
achievement in both adult
literacy and combined primary,
secondary and tertiary gross
enrolment. Education index = 2/3
(adult literacy index) + 1/3
(gross enrolment index).
Egypt obviously lags behind
East and South Asian countries.
The value of the education index
is 0.8 and above in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri
Lanka and Singapore. It is 0.9
and above in Philippines and
Korea.
Education Index - Egypt
Comparing To MENA Countries
The value of the education
index in Egypt (0.63) is 0.84
the average value of the MENA
countries (0.7463).
Education Index
(Compared to Developing, Low,
Middle, High Income Countries,
and to the World)
Egypt’s performance in general
lags far behind developing
countries (0.70) and to middle
income countries (0.82) and the
average performance to the whole
World (0.75) |
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Dual
Education |
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Key elements of this system are
the co-financing of the training
by government and companies and
the cooperative implementation
of training programs at working
sites (in company) and in
government schools (Technical
Secondary Schools).
Dual training systems seek to
develop demand oriented skills
and to improve the supply of
qualified workers to the labor
market (industry, small and
micro businesses, trade and
services). The initiative was
agreed on highest political
level and became operational in
1994.
There are two major
components:
1. A Project Policy
Implementation Unit (PPIU)
2. The Pilot Projects of
• Dual Vocational Education and
Training in 10th of Ramadan City
• Dual Vocational Education and
Training in 6th of October City
• Dual Vocational Education and
Training Sadat City
• Dual Vocational Education and
Training of Nurses
Main objectives are:
Making available the skilled
manpower trained on practical
and scientific basis, using the
most advanced teaching methods
and technologies for the
interest of the Egyptian economy
in general and the industry in
particular to be able on the
long run to compete in the world
market.
Making available good working
opportunities either in or
outside Egypt for the Egyptian
youth to face unemployment
problems.
Minimizing the needs for getting
experts from abroad for repair
and maintenance of equipment in
factories.
Amending on the long run the
laws of education and labor in
collaboration with other
concerned bodies and the
necessity of the profession
practicing license.
Ministry of Education (MoE)
Providing the TSS involved
with the project with the
necessary qualified teachers and
instructors and adapting the
schools for the
regional projects
Taking over all the running
costs and salaries of the
Egyptian personal involved
Carrying out the theoretical and
participating in the practical
examinations and approving the
certificates.
Investors' Associations (IA)
Contracting the trainees for
training in factories,
Taking over the costs of the
establishment of the Regional
Unit of the Dual System (RUDS)
Participating in choosing the
needed trades, formulating the
corresponding curricula and
participating in the practical
examinations.
German Technical Cooperation
(GTZ)
On behalf of the German
Federal Ministry of
International Cooperation and
Development (BMZ)
Seconding long and short term
experts according to the needs
Supplying the TSS involved by
training aids and teaching ware
Participating in establishing
the Regional Units (RUDS)
Training of Egyptian teachers,
instructors and trainers either
in or outside Egypt.
Project Objectives:
Support the development of
an Egyptian dual/cooperative
system which serves the Egyptian
labor market with qualified
manpower on international
standard,
Ensure the acceptance of this
new dual/cooperative system in
the Egyptian Society
Organize PPIU according to this
strategic target design the
corner stones of a “Strategic
Action Plan “as basis of the
Egyptian dual/cooperative
system
Develop legal, financial and
organizational structures for
company supported vocational
education and training
Increase the qualification of
Technical Secondary School
teachers and in-company
instructors
Motivate young people and
companies out of the Egyptian
Economy to participate in this
vocational training system.
Regional Unit Of the Dual
System (RUDS) Tasks of RUDS
Select and Advice
Appropriate Companies.
Structurize Training Programs.
Assist PPIU in Preparing
Curricula.
Organize Training for
Instructors.
Provide Teaching Materials for
In-Firm Training.
Register and Follow-Up of
Training Contracts.
Assist and Supervise In Firm
Training.
Offer Advisory services for the
Execution of the Dual Training.
Assist Companies in Selecting
Trainees.
Prepare,Conduct and Evaluate
In-Firm Exams.
Promotion and Propagation of
Dual Training.
Monitoring and Evaluation of
In-Firm Training
Trades applied now are 9
trades namely:
Industrial mechanics,
Industrial electronics,
Ready-made garments, Automotive
and heavy machinery Nursing
Textile, Leather products
Technician for electrical
installations sanitary and gas
installations
The project has developed
occupational profiles for (3)
vocations in the textile
industry ("clothing
construction", "finishing"
"tailoring). Upon completion of
the first year of basic training
the participants agree
individually with the employers
which specialization and step'
of the training program they
wish to attain.
The project has actively
promoted young women in non
traditional technical areas such
as industrial mechanics and
industrial electronics.
Other GTZ projects
Other projects which follow dual
models of training and cooperate
with the PPIU are the "Heavy
Machinery Training Center"/TOMOHAR
(training of mechanics for heavy
vehicles) and the "Training of
Power Station Personnel"
(training of power plant
electricians and mechanics).
The Training Center for
Automation Engineering (TCAE)/Ministry
of Industries currently offers 2
year vocational training courses
for "technicians for automated
systems" and "technicians for
process automation" for 100
(male) trainees. Training
programs also include short term
modular upgrading courses which
seem more appropriate to cater
for women's training needs than
long term vocational training.
Challenges facing Technical
Education in Egypt.
The weaknesses of vocational
training are generally described
as:
The absence of tracer
studies and research to assess
the external system efficiency
Insufficient entrepreneurial
encouragement and skills;
Uncoordinated and poorly planned
activities leading to surplus of
graduates in the same
geographical area
A deficient national training
information system
Inadequate national policies
considering the involvement of
private business, employers
associations and trade unions
The absence of a national skill
standard and trade testing
system.
The lack of a training needs
assessments
The uncoordinated role of
apprenticeships between the
different government ministries
A lack of willingness to finance
training from the government and
the companies.
Shortages in qualified teachers
and instructors; outdated
programs, curricula and teaching
methods
Llack of flexibility and failure
to adjust in the face of
increasing modernity, new
technological developments,
emerging new occupations and
changing existing occupational
and job profiles”
Uncoordinated and independent
training activities, programs,
centers and initiatives.
Underutilization of training
structures and facilities
Fragmentation and overlapping of
training efforts in Egypt led
all to an inefficient training
system.
From the social point of
view:
Secondary education does not
improve the average graduate's
job opportunities. Rates of
unemployment are highest for
those with intermediate
education, next highest for
graduates of higher education
and lowest for those with no
education.
Similarly, a diploma does not
substantially improve earning
prospects since wage rates for
labor market entrants are low.
While many Egyptians are
illiterate, the number of
university graduates is among
the highest in the world and the
proportion of women at
university (44.2 per cent)
almost equals that of men (45.8
per cent). The high prestige of
tertiary education allows women
also to enter non traditional
technical domains.
Role of Public Sector and
government / Private Sector /
NGO’s in offering Training and
skills Development Programs.
Forms of Partnership that can
be established among the three
major players:
Skills standardization
efforts in Egypt for the
different sectors
The National Skills Standards
Project for Egypt undertaken by
the British Council , Federation
of Egyptian Industries , and The
Social Fund for Development
Gender sensitization of Skills
Development.
Skills Development and
Vulnerable Groups
Training and the poor : Can
Training help in Poverty
Reduction
Programs of Skills Development &
Training in Egypt
Dual Education and Skills
Development
Future Policy of
Governments, Eng. Aly Sayed,
Arab Republic of Egypt
Ministry of Education, Mubarak-Kohl
Initiative.
The governments should formulate
a policy as how to link the
vocational education and
training system to the “world of
work”.
The introduction of the
apprenticeship training or other
work based learning models (like
the Dual System etc.) will be
the basis to get Vocational
Education and Training closer to
the needs of the labour market
and the companies.
This approach would initiate and
lead to a very close cooperation
between the demand and supply
side in the VET.
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