The European Commission approved two EU funded programmes for a total value of €120 million for Egypt, to support job creation for unskilled workers, and to enhance the efficiency of the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) system to better respond to the demands of the labour market and to the country's new socio-economic needs.

A €70 million programme on job creation and a €50 million programme on Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) was launched by the European Commission for Egypt, in order to to support job creation for unskilled workers, and to enhance the efficiency of the TVET system to better respond to the demands of the labour market and to the country's new socio-economic needs. This is not the first EU-funded project in Egypt. In March 2012, a joint project of the EU and UNICEF was announced to help ending harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation.

The Commission stressed that new support for job creation will provide immediate short term employment opportunities to 82,000 workers in small infrastructure projects located in the poorest areas of Egypt. Projects will include construction work and the provision of community services. In addition the EU support will aim to improve living conditions of the most vulnerable population segments. Moreover, the support to the TVET system will enhance the skills of young people to meet the labour market's demands, with particular attention to the tourism sector, according to the Commission. Two million pupils in the secondary technical education are expected to benefit from this EU support.

These programmes are part of the overall financial assistance package that the EU is mobilising in support to Egypt's transition and which is being unveiled at the EU Egypt task force. The total value of both programmes is €120 million.