The Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations (CEEBA) has organised a four-day training programme in Cairo focused on integrating social entrepreneurship into Egypt’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system.

The programme is being delivered within the framework of VET4SocialImpact, an Erasmus+-funded initiative that seeks to strengthen TVET ecosystems in Egypt and Palestine through entrepreneurship, innovation, institutional capacity building and closer cooperation with labour-market actors.

Bringing together representatives from the management of Egyptian TVET institutions, the training aims to strengthen their ability to support the integration of social entrepreneurship into their institutions and educational offerings.

Moving from Community Challenges to Enterprise Ideas

The sessions are facilitated by Usama Khalilieh, an instructor at Bethlehem University, one of the project partners. Drawing on his expertise, the programme combines conceptual learning with practical and collaborative activities that take participants beyond the theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship.

Throughout the four days, participants examine how challenges affecting their communities can be approached as opportunities for developing sustainable and socially responsible business solutions. Practical exercises guide them through identifying local needs, shaping entrepreneurial ideas and considering how these ideas could generate both economic value and positive social impact.

The programme also introduces participants to green and circular trade models, highlighting the role that environmentally responsible entrepreneurship can play in responding to contemporary economic, social and environmental challenges.

This practical learning process culminates in the development of social enterprise pitches, allowing participants to transform the challenges and opportunities they have identified into concrete and structured ideas.

Equipping Institutional Leadership

A central objective of the training is to build the capacity of TVET institution managers to champion social entrepreneurship at an institutional level.

Their role is particularly important in creating the conditions needed for entrepreneurship education to become part of institutional practice. By strengthening their understanding of impact-driven business models, the programme supports participating managers in guiding their teams, encouraging innovation and embedding social entrepreneurship approaches into their institutions’ activities and educational offerings.

The training therefore extends beyond the professional development of individual participants. It seeks to contribute to broader institutional change by equipping TVET leaders with the knowledge, practical methods and resources required to promote entrepreneurship that responds directly to community and labour-market needs.

By the end of the programme, participants are expected to leave with a pilot-ready toolkit that can support the introduction of social entrepreneurship activities into TVET classrooms across Egypt. The toolkit will help translate the programme’s learning into practical educational experiences for instructors and learners.

Advancing Social Entrepreneurship through International Cooperation

The participation of Bethlehem University in delivering the programme also reflects the value of regional and international cooperation within VET4SocialImpact. Through the exchange of expertise between project partners, the initiative creates opportunities for shared learning and the adaptation of effective approaches to different national and institutional contexts.

The four-day programme represents another step towards building a more innovative, responsive and socially engaged TVET ecosystem in Egypt. By empowering institutional leaders to connect entrepreneurship education with real community challenges, it contributes to preparing TVET institutions and learners to become active drivers of sustainable economic and social development.

As CEEBA highlighted:

“This is what impact-driven partnership looks like.”