Cairo, May 12, 2021 – IOM continues to support livelihoods promotion and migrant integration through increased social cohesion between migrant and Egyptian host communities. The initiative, implemented with FEI entitled, “Providing Livelihood opportunities for Migrants and Egyptians through Apprenticeship Scheme and Job Referral Mechanisms” aims to provide an apprenticeship scheme for 100 participants from migrant and Egyptian host communities. Livelihoods focus on vocational training and on the job skills training. Throughout the scheme, participants will be provided with an introductory training by FEI, covering employability and core work skills. Following this, beneficiaries of the scheme will join a six-month apprenticeship program in one of the enterprises represented by the FEI, followed by a retention rate of 60% for involved participants.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic slowdown and subsequent impact on migrant and Egyptians’ livelihood opportunities, the apprenticeship programme will assist vulnerable migrant and Egyptian communities in improving their employability prospects. The programme aims at empowering migrants and Egyptians, through providing them with vocational training opportunities and employment skills, aiming to increase their chances of absorption into formal labor market.

This initiative comes in the framework of the cooperation agreement that was signed between IOM and the FEI. IOM will also be working with FEI in order to further equip chamber members to be able to train and hire migrant and host community candidates.

FEI is significant partner for joint activities. It is one of the country’s largest employers’ associations accredited by the government, with 19 active industrial chambers as members representing over 102,000 industrial enterprises out of which more than 90% belong to the private sector. Additionally, FEI has been promoting and supporting Egyptian industries, as a pillar of the sustainable development and tool to alleviate poverty and underemployment. FEI acknowledges its shared responsibility as an employers’ organization to participate in creating a conducive business environment that enable migrants to enrich Egyptian society through their human, economic and social capacities, and thus facilitate their contributions to sustainable development at all levels.

This activity falls within the framework of the Regional Development and Protection Programme in North Africa (RDPP NA II), aiming to address challenges to migrant socio-economic integration, as well as the promotion of a culture of rights, dialogue and social cohesion between migrants and Egyptian host communities. Additionally, this intervention supports the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, and Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.