Egypt offers free tech scholarship to 100,000 citizens

Egypt’s IT development agency is offering 100,000 young people free online tech training as part of its strategy to increase the availability of local talent.

The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) in Egypt said the free online scholarship, from not-for-profit company Udacity, will help youngsters prepare for the careers of the future.

The 18-month scholarship programme, Future Work is Digital-fwd, is focused on teaching web development, data analytics and digital marketing.

The ITDIA said: “The technology training programme aims to equip the youth with the necessary tools and skills of the freelancing market, help them master remote work, and excel in the future digital jobs.”

Hala El-Gohary, CEO of ITIDA, added:  “With the strong momentum towards going all-digital, we offer our youth a unique virtual academy with free nano-degree programmes.”

She said the current Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the need for youths to increase their skills. “It has never been a better time to launch such initiative, as Covid-19 is expected to make the freelance market grow rapidly, and will push organisations and governments to accelerate the adoption of digital services, thus the demand for gigs and remote work opportunities will soar.”

The training includes online classroom, hands-on practice, expert-reviewed projects, online support webinars, professional industry mentors, interactive peer-to-peer community and continuous coaching. It has four levels, from starter to outstanding.

Demand for the latest digital skills will grow in the Middle East as countries diversify their economies to focus on sectors such as transport, education and healthcare. But retaining staff is a challenge in the region, with IT professionals often coming from overseas for short periods of time.

To address this, governments across the Middle East are trying to address this by reducing reliance on imported skills with initiatives such as the opening of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi.

Apply for Future Work is Digital-fwd.