A national effort to promote employment in the ICT sector

The programme equips people with various disabilities with the skills required for work in the ICT sector, and places them in appropriate companies. Launched in 2013, it has trained 467 people by 2016. 83% of them (one third women) are employed full-time in 16 companies and are paid entirely by their employers.

By developing the skills of persons with disabilities and by supporting equal employment opportunities, Egypt’s “Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities” programme of 2013 supports employers in the ICT sector to hire employees with disabilities, to comply with Egyptian labour laws, and often also to increase productivity.

Problems Targeted

Egypt’s Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities programme equips people with visual, hearing, speech, and physical disabilities with the skills required for work in the ICT sector, and places them in ICT companies where they are employed under conditions equal to non-disabled employees.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

A skills-based job creation 
The programme is creating a market value for persons with disabilities, and thus guaranteeing their ability to join the job market based on their skills – not based on charity. 
Innovative collaboration 
The programme is based on an original cooperation-funding model that gives employers the opportunity to know the person with disabilities without additional costs, while also applying the policy of equal payment. 
Rallying for an attitude shift 
The programme is mobilizing all stakeholders through a partnership with 16 ICT companies, three large NGOs, smaller NGOs, as well as other public entities, including ministries and governorates. 


Funding, Outlook and Transferability

The programme is cost effective over the long term. In 2016, as part of a Presidential Initiative, it was extended until 2019, with a target to train 2,000 persons with a 50 per cent employment rate, to equip 200 ICT centres with assistive technologies, and to build the capacity of 300 public entities.

Pictures

"Person with disabilities working as call centre agent at Xceed © Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Programme by MCIT Person with disabilities working as call centre agent at Xceed © Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Programme by MCIT"

"Person with disabilities working as call centre agent at Xceed © Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Programme by MCIT Person with disabilities working as call centre agent at Xceed © Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Programme by MCIT"

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THE STORY OF MENNA, MINISTRY OF COMMU- NICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

“Even with my disability I am contributing to society.”

I graduated in 2010 from the journalism department of the Faculty of Arts. I was the only visually impaired student to join this department, as at that time persons with visual impairments were not yet allowed to join. I was only allowed on the condition that I would pass all exams right from the start. Fortunately, I excelled in my studies, graduated, and then took additional courses in media and broadcasting, human resources, and English. Two years ago I joined the employment training programme of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, where again I excelled, and as such I was employed as the first visually impaired customer service agent at the largest call centre in Egypt. Further, based on my performance the company adopted the idea of employing other persons with disabilities. In addition, I was awarded a merit certificate from my company and was promoted twice, and currently I work as a human resources coordinator in the recruitment department and have helped in employing more than 100 disabled employees. Now I help in recruiting both disabled and non-disabled employees.