Cairo – Today, students at Zagazig University have additional resources to prepare for and find jobs after they graduate.  Zagazig University inaugurated three Centers for Career Development through a partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ministry of Higher Education, and the American University in Cairo.  These Centers will have dedicated resources to offer students a chance to explore paths to successful careers in established industries, to improve their skills, and to network with Egypt’s leading companies.

“By 2021 about 1 million students will have access to career services at universities in Upper Egypt, Cairo, and  in the Delta Region,” said USAID Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin. “Access to such services will help graduates find jobs faster, which will lead to a lower unemployment rate and a highly-skilled workforce, guiding Egypt on its path to self- reliance.”

The Centers for Career Development at Zagazig University are three of 20 career centers total to be launched through the USAID-led partnership. These new centers provide students with career mentoring and training in skills including leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship to increase their chances for employment. Students and alumni also benefit from networking resources and linkages between universities and the private sector.

USAID’s support for the University Centers for Career Development is part of the $30 billion that the American people have invested in Egypt through USAID since 1978. To find out more about USAID’s work in Egypt, please see https://www.usaid.gov/egypt, and follow on Facebook and Twitter at @USAIDEgypt.