EFE Egypt and Souq.com teams up to launch Egypt's first dedicated e-commerce training programme

The e-Commerce Associate Programme has already produced 120 graduates of which over 20% have secured employment at Souq.com following the intensive 8-week training programme.

"EFE Egypt was founded 3 years ago on the premise of reducing unemployment among Egyptian university graduates by identifying and addressing key skill gaps in today's modern workplace collaboratively with employers," said Shahinaz Ahmed, CEO at EFE Egypt.

"Working with public and private hiring organizations, we develop specialized, tailored programmes that create highly qualified, retainable candidates who can fill the needs of today's job market. 80% of Egyptians aged between 15 and 29 already suffer from unemployment while there is a clear market shortage for qualified e-commerce specialists to address the country's growing appetite for everything online. With almost 31 million Egyptians already surfing and shopping online, it's a clear win scenario for everyone - employers, employees and the Egyptian economy," she added.

As the e-Commerce leader in Egypt and the Arab world, Souq.com worked closely with EFE Egypt to develop the technical components of the programme and deliver best practice training for today's fast-changing technology environment. Souq.com has already lent its know-how and expertise to the programme, developing key training modules that deliver specialized courses in 4 strategic areas: Online marketing, logistics and supply chain, content management and social media administration.

"Souq.com Egypt is delighted to be working with EFE Egypt on this strategic initiative that will serve as a catalyst for skills development and job creation for the next generation of Egyptian technology professionals," said Omar Soudodi, GM of Souq.com Egypt.

"The Internet has created a new global economy and with it comes a growing need for specialized skills that can cope with the fast-changing requirements of this dynamic industry. Souq.com is proud to be contributing to such an initiative with far reaching benefits for Egyptians and the economy while we take steps to ensure an abundance of qualified, highly skilled e-commerce professionals to meet tomorrow's anticipated workplace needs," he added.

EFE Egypt is an independent Egyptian not-for-profit foundation established under the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity. Its goal is to reduce unemployment among Egyptian university graduates through specialized training while providing private businesses with qualified, retainable manpower. The e-Commerce Associate Training Programme currently includes training for: online marketing, Social media admin, Logistics & supply chain management and Content management.

Souq.com is enjoying unprecedented growth in Egypt since its launch three years ago. Souq is currently the fastest growing e-commerce site in Egypt. It is now ranked 33rd on Alexa Internet Inc's list of most popular websites in Egypt, moving up from the rank of 7000 that it had held previously. Souq.com's rapid growth is being driven by its popularity as the premier online retailer.