IBM and the Egyptian Ministry of Education launchthe country’s first P-TECH School to Address the Digital Skills Shortage

Cairo, Egypt – 27 June 2019: IBM (NYSE: IBM)and the Ministry of Education have announced the launch of the first P-TECH education model (Pathways in Technology Early College High-School) in Egypt.

The P-TECH framework aims to create technical and professional educational opportunities for Egyptian students to provide them with the skills and experience for tech-related ‘new collar’jobs, which involve technologies such ascybersecurity, cloud computing and digital design, data analytics and artificial intelligence.

With more than 22 million students , Egypt is home to the largest school system in the Middle East. Supporting the country transition towards a system that promotes the skills and competencies of the future and address the digital skills shortage, IBM is pioneering P-TECHin Egypt.

The P-TECH education model, designed and launched by IBM in 2011 in close partnership with educational institutions and businesses across the globe, is a direct response to the dual challenge of tech skills shortages and access to high quality education and workforce preparedness opportunities.

The first P-TECH school in Egypt will be operational at Al Shorouq Advanced Technical School, which falls under one of the Ministry of Education's school in Al Sherouq,beginning in September this year. This initiative is in collaboration with Al Alfi Foundation an NGO focused on the development of STEM education who will provide teachers’ training and development for the school. IBM volunteers will be fully involved in mentoring the students, site visits, and planning project days at the school.

Upon completion of the five-year integrated learning curriculum, the students will not only be qualified for job opportunities in areas like cloud, cyber security and AI, but they will also have the opportunity to complete their college education at faculties of computer science in Egypt.

“IBM is proud to support the holistic efforts that the government is currently making for national educationreform,” said WaelAbdoush, General Manager, IBM Egypt. “Through 65 years of our presence in Egypt, IBM has always stressed on the importance of investing in the country’s youth.With this initiative, we are leading the way for Egyptian students to build skills for the technology era.”

Thanks to PTECH, students benefit from professional workplace experiences, through mentorships and internships provided by affiliated industry partners. The program offers a seamless pathway from high school to college completion and career readiness, with a clear goal to prepare young people for academic achievement and economic opportunity, regardless of their backgrounds. In a world where technology is impacting every existing job, the P-TECH model is relevant to all industries.

IBM has been making investments and partnering with governments, educational institutions and businesses around the world to equip the global workforce for emerging "New Collar jobs";jobs that require technical skills, but not always a traditional university degree. At least 14 countries worldwide are adopting the P-TECH education model so far, with affiliations to75 universities and more than 600 industry partners. By the end of 2019, it is expected there will be 200 P-TECH schools, with 125,000 students at full enrollment.