BLINK Nigeria – Egypt – Lebanon – Morocco | gde@iecd.org - www.iecd.org

Be the Link between Schools and Companies | October 2014 | Issue 10 INTERNATIONAL

LIGHTS ON EGYPT

Focus: Summer internships

This summer, the first batch of Don Bosco students experienced the launch of placement in company. Overall, 46 students realized an internship in the industrial sector: 38 in Cairo and 8 in Alexandria. The youth were hosted by international companies (Schneider-Electric, Evapharma, Filmar, Mediterranean Textile, Pepsi, Suez Cement, Tuborco, Domotica Plus). It was not only the occasion for them to apply the competencies they learnt at school but also to acquire new skills. Those internships contribute to enhance their employability by being familiar with the business world: professionalism imperatives, team work and safety rules.

When searching for a job, this experience will be of high value for the students, thanks notably to the certificate they received from their host company. Similarly, the identification of future employees will be eased for the companies, which are already aware of the high quality training provided by the Don Bosco Institutes.

Renewable energies and social

entrepreneurship: innovating approaches in

the field of employment

During the last few months, we looked into the market of Renewable Energies (RE) and in the field of social entrepreneurship in Egypt through a feasibility study commissioned by our partner, the Drosos Foundation. Energy shortage is a day-to-day occurrence in Egypt as shown by power blackouts and the difficulties in provision of gas and fuel. This context makes RE more attractive at national level (power plants) as well as at individual level. According to our estimates, over 61 000 jobs could be created by 2027, only for installation, operation and maintenance activities. Access to energy in rural areas also remains a major issue: power cuts much longer than in the cities, erratic gas supplies on the black market etc. The survey allowed us to analyze the needs of companies both in terms of recruitment of technicians, trained on one or several RE technologies, and in terms of training of their current employees, in order for them to complete their competencies profile in RE.

The Seeds of Hope (SoH) project has been launched since

July 2013 with our two local partners, Don Bosco Cairo

and Alexandria. Several works in progress were set up

since the launching. Here comes an overview.

2nd year students from the IPI Mechanics-cars training , in internship

with Evapharma

Mikhail, a student in his fourth year in electronics at Don Bosco Cairo attended a training session in Suez Cement in August :

“During our training session, the first week was dedicated to a theoretical course on the production process of cement, then, we

were split up into several groups to visit the production units based at Helwan and Tourah. I was impressed because the

engineers working in the company, who are at least 50 years old, treated us with high consideration. I was also struck by the

safety rules which are very strict. It was a wonderful experience. I hope to have the opportunity to attend another training ses-

sion next year”.

Biogas stove in Faiyum

governorate

Lebanon :

NEXT ISSUE

In the MEANTIME, in other SEEDS OF HOPE countries

Lebanon : Lift Technology

Two trainers from Chennevière Malézieux

Highschool in Paris went to Lebanon

from 6th to 10th October to bring their

expertise after the launching of the

course « Elevator technology » by the

ISAE-CNAM. This course fits into the Lift

section, the 1st training of this kind in the

Near-East, launched jointly by the IECD,

the ISAE-CNAM, Mitsulift company and

the Academy of Paris. An elevator,

offered by Mitsulift for real practicing,

was inaugurated in the presence of all

project’s partners.

Morocco : TCA opening The Mkanssa multi-services center was

inaugurated on the 30th of July by the

governors of the Great Casablanca and

Nouaceur, Messrs. Safir and El Khatib. The

center hosts the Electricity OPIU* and the

Electricity TCA**, operated jointly by l’Heure

Joyeuse and the IECD. Other associations

offer trainings in sectors such as

hairdressing, dressmaking and preschooling.

Before the “Building Electricity” training

starts, 30 students go through Electricity

OPIU during 3 months. Then, a second group

will start the OPIU in November.

* Orientation and Professional Insertion Unit ** Training Center for Apprentices

PREPARING THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

By September 1st, students had already returned to the Don Bosco institutes. To prepare the new school year, several activities were

set up around the SoH project.

In July, 4 professors from Cairo and Alexandria participated to a 7-day training

session on robotics and automation. A textbook was made after this session,

and both themes would be integrated into the course program.

From September 4th to 6th, two people from the Guidance and Employment

Offices of Cairo and Alexandria were invited to Beirut to take part to the training

session organized by the “Guidance Employment & Training” (GET) project. The

3-day training session aimed at vocational integration sessions devoted to

students, but also guidance to support the youth in their job research. It offered

rich exchanges of ideas and experiences with Lebanese employees.

Financed by Schneider-Electric Egypt, the 1st material order for the renovation

of electro-technical laboratories of Cairo and Alexandria were finalized.

? DID YOU

KNOW

Nigeria: Safety first in IIT

In Nigeria, personal sensitivity to safety

notions is far from requirements imposed

by international standards. Yet, this aspect

is fundamental on a daily basis.

Thus, IECD decided to emphasize this point

and has provided IIT teachers of the

Electrotechnics program with an

“Industrial Safety” training. It was

performed in two batches by Cummins HSE

manager in Nigeria and focused on major

safety issues in a professional environment

including: Hand Safety, Crane Awareness,

Environmental Awareness, Material Safety

Data Sheets and Job Safety Assessment.

1 feasibility study, financed by the Drosos

Foundation, is in progress in Lebanon. It aims at

drawing-up a project of social entrepreneurship

in the national electricity sector.

3 orders in progress with Schneider-Electric to

equip 3 technical platforms in new SoH

countries.

Working session during the 3-day teachers training in Beirut

Any suggestion? Any topic you would like to read about? Please send us your ideas at gde@iecd.org

GEO Capitalization and

development perspectives