The United Nations Development Programme Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (UNDP IICPSD), funded by its partner, the HP Foundation, organized a series of successful HP LIFE Training of Trainers (ToT) in Egypt for the academic staff of Delta University, Sphinx University, Mansoura University, and the IT Clubs of the ICT Trust Fund, which is an affiliate of Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

UN data indicates that global youth population increases. This young population offers great potential for raising dynamism, innovation, and productivity at a global level. However, persistent economic, political, and social challenges prevent youth from finding employment and realizing their full potential in some parts of the world. Entrepreneurship and digital transformation play a critical role in addressing development challenges and accelerating economic growth, which could also help achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In that sense, the immediate need to foster entrepreneurial and leadership skills is critical, especially for coping with the COVID-19 crisis and helping recovery afterwards.  Enhancing the capabilities of trainers, managers and learners would ensure better outcomes for businesses. Further to this, HP LIFE offers dedicated courses on “design thinking, strategic planning, social entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, operations, communications for effective leadership, and business management” which are not only important for functioning effectively in the 21st century but also would help designing and achieving a better post-COVID world.

Egypt has the potential to increase entrepreneurial activity with 73% of Egyptians considering entrepreneurship as a suitable career direction.[1] In addition, 46% of adults demonstrate the necessary capacities to identify good opportunities in the market for a new business.[2]

UNDP IICPSD and HP Foundation aim to support entrepreneurial and 21^st Century skills development at a global level and provide training for the effective utilization of HP LIFE. HP LIFE is the HP Foundation’s free IT and business skills-training program. It is accessible online, offline, and in person (where safe) offering more than 30 courses in eight languages for entrepreneurs, business owners, and lifelong learners all over the world. It is also an adaptable educational resource used on the ground by trainers, educators, and mentors to enrich curricula, support business creation, and improve employability skills.

Taking the opportunity to support the development of youth entrepreneurship, UNDP IICPSD organized HP LIFE ToT in Egypt for four academic institutions. The trainings aimed to illustrate how the HP LIFE program can be used for entrepreneurial and business skills development. The training equipped the participants with the tools required to engage in institution-wide knowledge transfer, to localize HP LIFE knowledge, and to strengthen training capacity in local organizations. Trainings are carried out by an innovative group of internationally certified HP LIFE Master Trainers and involves unique learning techniques that the HP Master Trainers developed over the past two decades.

Trainings will continue with other universities in Egypt in October 2021.

[1] American University of Cairo. Global Report: Entrepreneurship in Egypt Growing in Popularity

[2] American University of Cairo. Global Report: Entrepreneurship in Egypt Growing in Popularity