Qena – South Valley University hosted an employment fair on Saturday that connected thousands of job seekers with prospective employers.  Sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and World Learning, the fair took place at South Valley University’s Career Development Center, one of several USAID-funded Centers at public universities across Egypt that connect students and recent graduates with the regional labor market. 

“The U.S. Government is committed to helping Egypt create strong economy with good jobs and skilled workers,” said Dr. Mary C. Ott, Director of the USAID Mission in Egypt.  “USAID’s support for employment fairs and Career Development Centers is an important step on the path to a prosperous and economically vibrant Egypt.”

USAID is funding Career Development Centers (CDCs) at six universities in Egypt in response to employers’ concerns that today’s graduates do not have the skills needed for today’s job market.  Their primary focus is on developing a generation of career-educated graduates who are professionals with technical skills and effective work habits that will make them successful employees throughout their careers.  These CDCs provide training on presentation skills, interviewing, and networking to help young Egyptians improve their employability and successfully market themselves to prospective employers.  To date, the Center in Qena has facilitated nearly 300 career counseling interviews and hundreds of workshops and seminars for South Valley University students and graduates.

The U.S. Government promotes a globally competitive, educated, innovative human resource-based economy in Egypt.  Over the past three years, USAID has provided training for 12,000 aspiring entrepreneurs; 45,000 agriculture interns and vocational school students; 9,000 technical school instructors; and 12,500 small business owners.  Activities in entrepreneurship, vocational education, and other areas have led to new or better full-time employment for over 40,000 people in the past two years and short-term jobs for another 20,000 workers.