“I knew about the ‘Million International Licenses’ initiative from my school, then registered with the help of some trainers,” one student said during the initiative’s launch ceremony.
“I learned several digital skills, including cybersecurity, and I was able to pass all the courses and obtain the globally recognized Cisco certification, which qualifies me to compete internationally,” she added.
Her story is just one of many.
With the launch of the ‘Million International Licenses’ initiative, Egypt is taking a major step toward preparing its youth to compete in the global digital economy.
Representing President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli attended the ceremony and witnessed the awarding of 2,000 internationally accredited licenses to students and graduates in the fields of technology, foreign languages and freelancing.
The initiative falls under the ‘Digital Summer’ and ‘Digital Winter’ programs for school students, as well as the ‘Be Prepared’ program for university students. It is notably inclusive, targeting participants aged between 14 and 40.
Women make up 52 percent of participants, reflecting a significant shift in the country’s technological landscape.
“It’s not just about learning, it’s about earning,” Madbouli said during the ceremony, where the ‘Million International Licenses’ initiative — launched in partnership with Cisco Systems — was introduced alongside the International Labour Market Observatory.
“The Egyptian government believes that true investment begins with people,” Madbouli said. “Modern development standards are now linked to a state’s ability to prepare human resources equipped with digital skills, foreign languages, freelancing capabilities and entrepreneurial thinking.”
He added that these fields represent a real gateway to creating job opportunities both inside and outside Egypt.
Through the newly launched International Labour Market Observatory, young people can now identify the most in-demand skills globally, helping them avoid spending time on outdated career paths.
Another programme, ‘Khotwa’ (Step), aims to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and teach participants how to turn their digital skills into a sustainable source of income.
The Egyptian Ministry of Education emphasized that the training programmes are both practical and continuous, highlighting their role in bridging the gap between local education and the global labor market, with support from the European Union and Germany’s GIZ.
As Egypt pushes forward with its vision of building a knowledge-based economy, the “Million International Licenses” initiative is emerging as a gateway for young people to pursue careers in freelancing or launch their own startups.
