Egypt - ITEC - ZSL

The aim of the project was to establish and develop a vocational training centre in Assiut, Upper Egypt, with

vocational training and degrees on three levels:
- Technical Secondary School (TSS),
- Intermediate Technical College (ITC) and
- Advanced Technical College (ATC) as well as
a job-oriented training centre for qualification measures for the needs of the local industry.

The aim of the project was to break new ground in vocational training in Egypt.

After completing their training, the graduates should have in-depth, professionally oriented theoretical knowledge and a high level of practical professional competence.
The training should be based on the example of the vocational training of the dual system in Germany (with the highest possible proportion of training phases in companies) and offer skilled worker qualifications at two levels.
For particularly talented students, the training should lead to a BA degree, which should be based on the level of the technical college in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
As a fourth area, a training centre should be set up that would offer qualification measures for the needs of local industry in courses that would be freely available on the market.

The ITEC Assiut was to train students in the fields of metal and electrical engineering as well as information technology.

Planning, construction and, if necessary, renovation of the school buildings,
Equipping the administration buildings, classrooms, laboratories and workshops,
Development of the school model based on the dual system in Germany and the conditions of the Egyptian vocational school system,
Development of curricula,
Education and training of teaching staff,
Development of a business model for the education centre,
Development of quality assurance measures,
Transfer of the model to sustainable regular operation.

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Educational Development Fund (EDF) and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in April 2013.

Signing of the project agreement between Educational Development Fund (EDF) and the Center for School Quality and Teacher Education (Zentrum für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung – ZSL; former State Academy) in May 2014 in Cairo.
Start of project work in September 2014 with the development phase:
- Definition of the subject areas: electrical engineering and metal engineering,
- Development of the school model with curricula and teacher needs,
- Drafts for the school building,
- Exploration missions on the topics: Need for skilled workers in Assiut and Upper Egypt, education level at vocational schools in Egypt, teacher training in Egypt, opportunities for cooperation with the local industry.
Definition of the school model:
- Curricula – recognition in Egypt and Baden-Wuerttemberg,
- Need for teachers.
Definition of construction plans, tendering of construction measures.
Creation of equipment lists and international tendering for the procurement of equipment.

Intensive training of the Egyptian teachers on site in Assiut by German expert teachers from Baden-Wuerttemberg,
School building and equipping of workshops and rooms.

Training of classes in electrical engineering and metal technology with 32 students each in the Technical Secondary School (TSS).

Introduction of a further specialization: information technology:
- Preparation of the curricula for all levels,
- Determining the need for teachers.
Creation of equipment lists and international tendering for the procurement of equipment.

Conversion of the training courses to an online format due to the first lockdown in March 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic,
Almost complete standstill of the project cooperation in the subsequent period due to the pandemic and the associated travel restrictions.

Christiane Spies

(Monday–Friday)

Integrated Educational Cluster (ITEC) Assiut, Egypt