Focusing on employer needs and creating hundreds of jobs for young people with intellectual disabilities

Organization: SETI Centre for Training and Studies on Disability
Country of Implementation: Egypt
Region: Africa
Subregion: MENA
Start Year: 2000
First published: 31.01.2017

The SETI Centre was founded by Caritas Egypt to provide vocational preparation and training to youth with intellectual disabilities. From its beginnings until 2016, the SETI Centre has placed over 500 youth with disabilities in various types of jobs as well as supported 300 of them to start their own businesses.

Solution details

People

Eglal CHENOUDA

“I wish other staff were as active as Marwan. You only give the order once. If he makes a mistake, he is careful not to repeat it.” Supervisor of Marwan, a young restaurant manager with an intellectual disability

Problems Targeted

Persons with disabilities face several challenges when it comes to proper education and inclusive employment.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

The programme model supports persons with disabilities with:   · Job placement and employment in the open labour market or in starting their own business   · Providing vocational training according to the selected jobs at the centre’s premises as well  as on-the-job training at the work place   · Assisting candidates at the workplace   · Supporting families in acquiring the necessary documents for employment  Furthermore, the initiative helps to:   · Raise awareness among employers and fellow colleagues at the work place   · Guide other associations to provide the same services  SETI has placed young people with disabilities in a variety of jobs, including : office work (clerks, photocopying, human resource assistants, telephone operators, etc.), manufacturing and assembly chain work (electrical appliances, clothes and garment production, food product manufacturing, gift bags, dolls and frame making, etc.), and catering, to name a few. In addition, SETI staff members are currently involved in drafting a national strategy for employment of youth with disabilities with other local and international organizations.  

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

In order to create 60 job opportunities, the operational cost per year amounts is €18,000. The SETI Centre has obtained grants from civil society organizations in Germany (Caritas Germany), France (Handicap International and a French company), and Egypt (Sawiris Foundation). In the coming two years the focus will be on two governorates in Upper Egypt (Sohag and Qena) where unemployment among youth is particularly high. Six community development organizations in these governorates will benefit from this training to employ 280 youth with disabilities, in addition to raising awareness of 50 employers.  