People 1st International has been awarded the EFE-Egypt Appreciation Award for 2023 for unwavering support towards the EFE-Egypt mission of empowering youth in Egypt.

Awarded at EFE-Egypt’s Roundtable and Iftar Event on 5 April 2023, the accolade symbolises the collaborative relationship built between the two organisations. With strongly aligned values, the partners both work across interventions that support gender and youth inclusion.

EFE-Egypt supports unemployed underprivileged Egyptian youth with vocational training, job placement and alumni support to allow them to secure employment opportunities where they can grow economically and socially. They also aim to secure equal female participation in the training programs, as an initiative to empower women in the community. Bringing a global perspective, People 1st International has supported the EFE-Egypt teams through international best practice in sustainable skills models and by increasing the capacity and capability of their training team to deliver programmes that give young people the critical skills needed to secure employment.

People 1st International and EFE-Egypt’s partnership began when working on a concept to develop a skills academy for the Mall of Arabia. Staying connected, the organisations have built on their partnership and since collaborated on a number of projects including one with Majid Al Futtaim Group and Helm, supported by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Confederation to establish a new inclusive training facility at City Centre Almaza targeting young people and people with disabilities.

More recently, to build on the work People 1st International is undertaking with Hyatt Regency Cairo West through a project funded by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) to support the hotel to analyse skills needs, and strengthen current training plans, develop curricula and capacity building programmes to scale up and improve talent, EFE-Egypt are now looking at how they can introduce a pilot pre-employment programme to support Hyatt Regency Cairo West in increasing the number of females they recruit.

Extending into the wider EFE network, People 1st International has also developed partnerships with EFE in Jordan and Palestine to work on projects including the development of a youth inclusion training centre at Abdali Mall.

Nora Abou El Seoud, Chief Executive Officer of Education For Employment-Egypt comments:

“We are truly impressed by the effort that People 1st International puts forth in collaborating with EFE-Egypt, going above and beyond what is expected from a typical working relationship. As such, we would like to formally recognise this outstanding commitment to our shared cause through this award.

“Thank you once again for your contributions towards building a brighter future for the youth of Egypt. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the years to come.”

Jane Rexworthy, Executive Director of People 1st International comments:

“We’re honoured to receive the EFE-Egypt Appreciation Award for 2023. We’re humbled and privileged to work with an organisation who has such an impact on transforming the employment opportunities of young people. The award is a great recognition of what we are truly passionate about – helping young people, challenging social and gender exclusion, addressing the barriers to work and supporting continuous professional development of the existing workforce.

“We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with EFE-Egypt and the wider EFE network.”