DEMO is a 36-month initiative bringing Egypt and Italy together to create pathways to decent work and safe migration. Funded by the European Union under the THAMM Plus Programme and implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), DEMO contributes to the implementation of the EU–Egypt Talent Partnership through the establishment of the Italian-Egyptian Centre for Decent Employment and Mobility Opportunities, a sustainable platform fostering institutional cooperation between Egypt and Italy while connecting Egyptian youth with quality vocational training, career guidance, employment services, job placements opportunities, and legal migration opportunities.
With youth unemployment at 24.3% in Egypt and significant skills gaps, DEMO strengthens vocational training networks, reinforces cooperation between vocational education providers and the private sector, supports the alignment of skills supply with labour market needs, develops job-matching systems, and creates bilateral mobility schemes in ICT, energy, agriculture, and tourism.
Working with the Egyptian and Italian governments, private sector employers, and THAMM Plus partners (ILO and GIZ), the project empowers Egyptian youth aged 18–35, particularly women and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, by equipping them with market-demanded skills, improving their employability and access to decent work in Egypt, and, where relevant, facilitating legal labour mobility opportunities to Italy, while contributing to the prevention of irregular migration through accessible and regulated pathways.
The total project budget is EUR 2,000,000.
