Silatech and Microsoft signed an agreement renewing their commitment to provide online employability resources to Arab youth through the Ta3mal network. The new agreement will now see the activation of the Qatar portal, following successful project implementations in Egypt, Iraq and Tunisia. The Ta3mal network provides Arab youth with free access to a wide variety of resources, including advice on how to write a CV, and career guidance tools and virtual advising to help young people determine the career path that best matches their life aspirations.

Through a partnership with ALISON, the provider of free online courses, Ta3mal users have access to over 500 online courses to enhance their professional skills. For aspiring entrepreneurs, Ta3mal offers useful information and tips for starting businesses and obtaining funding, as well as virtual mentoring and entrepreneurship support services, including advice on how to create a business plan and market a business idea. Youth unemployment in the Arab region is around 25%-the of any region in the world-and the lack of access to quality employability resources is a substantial impediment to lowering unemployment rates.

Customized Ta3mal country portals have now been launched in Egypt, Qatar, Iraq, and Tunisia, with plans to expand to additional Arab countries in the future. Through close coordination with local partners, Ta3mal will soon also provide job seekers a platform from which to search for entry-level job openings and available internship opportunities in their area. Country partners include Edupartage, Tunisiana, and ATUGE (Tunisia), USAID (Iraq), the Ministry of Youth (Egypt) and the Bedaya Center (Qatar).