"Shazli" confirms that skills have become necessary and qualify for employment opportunities along with academic qualifications.

The SU President: Keeping up with the labor market's demands is inevitable in preparing graduates who will contribute efficiently to the construction of the new republic.

This morning, the first recruitment forum at Suez University was launched in the presence of Major General Staff of War, Tariq Hamid Al-Shazali, the Suez Governor, Prof. Dr. Ashraf Hnijal, the SU President, with the participation of several companies participating in the meeting.

The Forum was attended by the SU vice-president and faculties’ deans, M. Dina Johri Deputy Director of Centres for Professional Development Project, M. Marina Brsoum, the SU Project Manager, Dr. Mostafa Tawfiq, Director of the University's Professional Development Center, teaching staff, and several university students and graduates.

In his statement, the SU President expressed his pleasure in welcoming attendees at Suez University; To reap the fruit of the SU Centre for Professional Development in partnership with the American University and with the support of the United States Agency for International Development.

Moreover, Hnijal noted that the establishment of the University's Professional Development Center had a significant goal that deserved every appreciation and attention, as it sought to activate real efforts to bridge the gap between academic study and labor market requirements in various fields and disciplines.

Then, the SU President explained that this gap was created by the momentary and enormous technological advances that humankind is currently witnessing in various fields and disciplines, resulting in different personal and technical needs of the workforce.

He also emphasized that the effort to bridge this gap is no longer a luxury or a complementary thing, but a fundamental imperative, a strategic choice, and a duty to our University students and graduates to guide them to the right way to keep up with the requirements of the labor market, to contribute to the construction of the new republic under the leadership of President Abdelfattah El-Sisi.

The SU President then explained that Egypt's system of higher education and scientific research was proceeding under an ambitious strategy launched by Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, for the advancement of the higher education and scientific research sector, which has a strong influence on the nation's construction. This strategy has seven main themes, including the pivotal integration and communication themes that are embodied in the goal of the professional development centers to link the labor market to academic study.

Furthermore, Hnijal expressed pride at what had been accomplished by the University's Professional Development Centre in two years, appreciating the efforts made by the Centre; to pursue labor market needs. He paid tribute to all employees of the Center for their sincere efforts to achieve this success.

After that, the SU President stressed that today's presence with the companies participating in the meeting reflects their belief in the abilities of the University's students and graduates to make good use of their distinguished figures. This is also within the community participation of these companies to serve SU students by providing them with training or employment opportunities. So, the SU President thanked all participating companies and sponsors, who had an influential role in providing more than 1,000 opportunities to train or hire our graduate students.

The SU President concluded his speech by paying tribute to the Suez Governor for his attendance today, which increased the event value, and reflects the importance and seriousness of such an event which seeks to achieve the goal of our students and graduates.

At the end of his speech, Prof. Dr. Ashraf Hnijal, the SU President, declared that today's opportunities are available to all the citizens of the governorate as an initiative of Suez University to serve the governorate and our beloved homeland.

Suez Governors: recruitment events offered by universities in partnership with companies and factories save time and effort of students and graduates.

In his statement, General Staff of War Tariq Hamid Al-Shazali, Suez Governor, stated that the recruitment meetings offered by universities in partnership with companies and factories provide time and effort for students and graduates. It also provides them with a real opportunity to learn about the requirements of the labor market and the skills the graduate or student needs to be qualified for those opportunities.

Al-Shazali continued that the work system anywhere depends on the efficiency of all elements as the pace of production does not continue as required if there is a shortage of any element. For example, in production sites; engineers and technicians depend on each other, although the engineer's efficiency is below the desired level, or the technical worker's efficiency is below the level, it will affect production thus it is of no importance to one but the other.

The "Suez Governor" also pointed out that the labor market now no longer cares only about educational qualifications, as much as the attention and search for graduate skills and the information he knows and what he can offer to the company or factory. In the community, we have many models who have left their work in the field of study and turned to other works they loved and achieved success that made their stories worth telling till they reached us.

As well, Mr. Governor confirmed that now the graduate is what he can provide, what he knows, and the amount of his knowledge determines if he will be accepted or rejected while the amount of his skill determines his salary. This is the current labor market approach, with the need to take care of the skills and write them in the CV when applying for any job, it is also important to learn how to write a CV because it has an important role to play in choosing the right person for the job.

The Suez Governor then paid tribute to the SU President for the effort to organize this forum and to communicate with this large number of companies, business owners, and sponsors of the forum.

M. Dina Johari: Providing professional services to more than 10,000 students and graduates from Suez University within two years.

In her speech, M. Dina Johari, Deputy Director of Centers for Professional Development Project at American University, stated that the project succeeded in establishing 37 professional development centers in Egyptian universities in line with Egypt's Vision 2030 and reducing unemployment rates among university youth.

She also explained that the SU Center for Professional Development has a prominent and distinguished role, providing more than 8,400 training services for university students since its inception two years ago as well as signing 10 cooperation protocols with 10 companies in various industrial and productive disciplines and organizing 12 events with more than 30 companies in Suez. This resulted in 4000 training and recruitment opportunities, providing professional services to more than 10,000 students and graduates from Suez University within two years.

M. Dina Johari then continued that "Suez University" through the Professional Development Center held regular dialogues with business representatives and conducted studies to identify market needs and contributed to linking graduates to the labor market, stressing that the Ministry of Higher Education believes in the need for continuous curriculum development to keep pace with the requirements of the labor market to help build students' capacities, in line with the role of professional development centers in universities.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mostafa Tawfiq, Director of the University Center for Professional Development, delivered a speech at the beginning of the meeting.

In his speech, Tawfiq thanked the SU President for his great support for the Centre and its activities believing in the importance of its role.

It is worth mentioning that about 23 companies participated in the forum to provide services to various students and graduates of the university and the citizens of the Suez governorate.