Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem affirmed that building a modern and more competitive Egyptian industrial sector depends primarily on qualified human resources capable of efficiently managing production processes, operating and developing modern technologies.
He noted that the Ministry has placed human resource development among the top priorities of its strategy, recognizing the importance of skilled technical workers in meeting factories’ needs, boosting productivity, and enhancing the competitiveness of national industry.
Hashem made the remarks during his participation in a ceremony marking the graduation of the first cohort of students from Abu Zaabal Applied Technology School, comprising 25 students. The ceremony was held at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where Hashem and Minister of Labor Hassan Raddad presented graduation certificates and employment contracts to the graduates.
Addressing the ceremony, Hashem said investment in technical education and vocational training is one of the key pillars of industrial development, given its central role in supporting technology localization, improving product quality and productivity, and strengthening the competitiveness of Egyptian industry.
He noted that the success of industrial development plans requires providing a skilled and qualified technical workforce capable of improving production processes and enhancing their efficiency. The Minister added that the ministry is working to develop the vocational training system through programs combining basic skills development, technical qualification, and practical training inside factories.
These efforts aim to prepare skilled personnel capable of competing in domestic and international labor markets, in line with the state’s efforts to upgrade technical education and align its outcomes with labor market needs. He explained that applied technology schools represent an important model for integration between the education and industrial sectors by combining theoretical studies with practical training in real production environments.
In this regard, he said Abu Zaabal Applied Technology School exemplifies such integration by offering a specialized program in phosphate fertilizer production, one of the strategic industrial sectors of the Egyptian economy. The sector requires technical personnel with specialized knowledge and practical skills, while adhering to quality and safety standards and operational efficiency requirements.
The Minister stressed the importance of strengthening the links between technical education and industrial requirements and introducing new specializations that address current and future labor market needs, thereby helping meet industrial sectors’ demand for specialized technical workers.
He further noted that Egyptian and foreign investors seek workers distinguished by competence, discipline, efficiency, and high productivity, describing human resources as one of the factors shaping investment decisions. Preparing qualified technical personnel, he said, would strengthen Egyptian industry’s ability to integrate into global supply chains.
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