Agility, among global leaders in supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation, has announced a collaboration with Education for Employment (EFE) to provide artificial intelligence training to 3,500 young individuals in Egypt.
The initiative aims to acquaint young men and women from underserved communities in Egypt with the concepts, tools, and ethical considerations of artificial intelligence. The goal is to empower them with a competitive advantage in the job market by imparting skills to leverage the transformative capabilities of AI technology.
Recognizing that underemployment and limited entrepreneurial opportunities hinder economic and social progress, EFE’s skills development programs offer young people opportunities for employment or entrepreneurship. This, in turn, contributes to increased prosperity, stability, and overall social and economic development.
Frank Clary, Agility’s VP of Sustainability, expressed the company’s support for EFE’s free employment and job skills training. The focus is on enabling participants to understand how to utilize AI effectively in job searches and tasks related to employment or business management.
According to Clary, AI literacy is becoming a crucial factor for recruiters, and the joint efforts of EFE and Agility aim to provide training to young individuals who may not otherwise have access to it. The shared objective is to cultivate a future-ready workforce for Egypt and the broader Middle East, as employment and entrepreneurial skills are integral to fostering development, prosperity, and stability.
Andrew Baird, EFE-Global CEO, emphasized the importance of the training in addressing the challenges faced by unemployed youth from underserved populations. The program plays a vital role in bridging gaps in formal education and building social capital.
EFE’s training participants undergo a selective process, with acceptance based on motivation and socio-economic background. Priority is given to those facing the greatest needs. Of the 3,500 individuals enrolled in the Agility-sponsored AI course in Egypt, at least half are young women. The AI curriculum covers fundamental AI concepts, its practical applications in the workplace, ethical considerations, responsible online information use, and the utilization of AI tools in job searches.
In addition to this initiative, Agility has collaborated with UNHCR to support the education of refugee children in Egypt. This partnership, ongoing since 2016, has provided funding for tuition, transportation, uniforms, books, stationery, and devices like computers for approximately 1,800 school-age children. Egypt currently hosts around 473,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers from various nationalities.
