AUC And USAID Inaugurate Two Centers For Career Development in Tanta University
The American University in Cairo (AUC) celebrated the opening of two University Centers for Career Development (UCCDs) at the faculties of Engineering and Commerce in Tanta University, with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The ceremony was attended by USAID/Egypt Mission Director Leslie Reed; Governor of Gharbia Tarek Rahmy; AUC President Ahmad Dallal; Tanta University President Mahmoud Zaki; and delegations from USAID and AUC. The University Centers for Career Development project aims to provide career guidance services and free-of-charge employability skills and technical training for university students to help bridge the gap between the university education outcome and the needs of the labor market. The UCCDs also support students in finding job opportunities through employment fairs or creating jobs through entrepreneurship training.
AUC President Ahmad Dallal said: “We are pleased with the cooperation and exchange of experiences with Tanta University in establishing its two UCCDs, and we congratulate them on their inauguration today. The two UCCDs will offer a variety of career services to Tanta University students and will help them enhance their employability and competitiveness in the labor market. I thank the United States Agency for International Development for their continued support of the University Centers for Career Development project.”
Tanta University President Mahmoud Zaki expressed his pleasure about the mutual cooperation with AUC and USAID and pointed out that this ceremony comes as a result of the efforts and plans to develop Tanta University with national and international partners. He added that the university manages through setting objectives that aligns with Egypt’s vision 2030 concerning development, education and scientific research and emphasizes developing the students’ skills required to enter new job markets (2025-2030) as per the World Economic Forum 2020 report.
Zaki in his speech emphasized the fact that Tanta University implements Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s vision and directions concerning people with disability through carrying out a plan to train, empower and employ students with disability to be fairly and well prepared to face future challenges.
The UCCDs at Tanta University are the 17th and 18th centers to be launched by the University Centers for Career Development project. Over the past three years, 16 centers were established at 11 universities in 10 governorates from Alexandria to Aswan, providing their services to over 200,000 students and graduates from various governorates.
The two University Centers for Career Development at Tanta University will empower students to take steps to pursue their desired career paths and successful transition from university to the labor market. In cooperation with eminent training partners, the centers will offer students a comprehensive range of courses and training in the areas of career management, employability skills and entrepreneurship.
To ensure the sustainability of the career development centers and its career services, the AUC team will train and certify Tanta University UCCD staff as Career Service Providers who are capable of providing career guidance services to university students. The International Labor Organization will also train the center's staff on researching and analyzing labor market information and will develop their capabilities to serve students with disabilities.