By Justus Ononogbo
Eni and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) said they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the “coordinated” implementation of the Programme “Energize ATS: Improving Technical Education and Job Prospects for Youth in Egypt”. The signing which took place in Cairo according to an email to Energy Window International, was done in the presence of the Minister of Education and Merit of the Republic of Italy, Prof. Giuseppe Valditara, and the Minister of Education and Technical Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Mohamed Abdel Latif.
Energy Window International has also gathered that the initiative would aim at enhancing the quality of technical education in Egypt, as it will seek to address the labour market’s needs while fostering the green and digital transitions. It is expected to build on the model of Applied Technology School the Italian Eni said it established in Port Said, which had its first cohort of graduates in 2024.
Under the MoU, the parties will work in synergy to establish two new applied technology schools, one in Matrouh Governorate and the other one in Damietta Governorate.
Eni, through Damietta LNG (DLNG) and its subsidiary IEOC, in cooperation with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, will focus on the management of the schools, the development of the curricula, the accreditation of the programme, and the training of trainers.
AICS will focus on the renovation of educational infrastructures and on the supply of equipment/furniture, as well as supporting the schools in increasing inclusiveness, particularly for female students and students with disabilities and offering extracurricular Italian language courses.
The initiative is implemented under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education and Technical Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt and brought forward in line with the general effort of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa for training and education, including thorough leveraging public-private partnerships.
Eni says it has been present in Egypt since 1954, and currently known as Egypt’s leading producer with an equity production of approximately 280,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2024. It operates in Egypt through its wholly owned subsidiary IEOC and has a 50% share DLNG.