Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar discussed ways of enhancing cooperation with Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Eric Ochlan on Tuesday.
Abdel Ghaffar stressed the importance of cooperating with the ILO to promote rights at work and remain aware of the needs of the labour market and future jobs at the local, regional, and international levels.
He explained that his ministry began to establish new programmes and colleges in public universities in order to prepare graduates to possess the skills and competencies necessary to meet the needs of the labour market.
The meeting also dealt with a proposed cooperation project between the ministry and the organisation as well as memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed between the ministry, the ILO, and the Commonwealth Office of Foreign Affairs for Development.
The MoU aims to develop Egyptian university students by providing them with employable skills. It also encompasses cooperation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
For his part, Ochlan invited Abdel Ghaffar to inaugurate the activities of a workshop that will announce the results of a survey on the status of university graduates in Egypt.
It is worth noting that the ILO was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the first specialised agency of the United Nations. The organisation has 187 member states, and its mission is to promote social and economic justice by providing decent work opportunities.
