Despite the fact that youth educational attainment is the highest in Egypt’s history, at least 90 percent of the country’s unemployed are under 30. Disadvantaged youth, particularly women, do not have access to relevant training to obtain jobs in the formal private sector.

The International Youth Foundation and Nahdet El Mahrousa (NM), an Egyptian NGO, in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, are implementing Egypt@Work, a four year, $5 million initiative that will address the need for increased youth employment and entrepreneurship in Egypt. This program will build alliances between sectors and assist local organizations with capacity building, technical service strengthening and on-the-ground implementation of the program. Organizations participating in the program will provide 10,000 disadvantaged youth with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities needed to find and maintain employment or to start new enterprises. These essential programs are responsive to market demand and informed by youth workforce assessments as well as by ongoing input of the private and public sectors.