Third consecutive Cairo to Cape Town road show kicks-off with dedicated focus on human capital development

Philips Lighting Academy and Philips Healthcare Academy established to develop practical and technical skills of Egyptian youth; will offer dedicated internship programs

Cairo, Egypt – As part of the third Cairo to Cape Town road show, Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today announced that it has established a partnership with the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU), presided by the Ministry of Higher Education of Egypt. Philips signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the SCU to contribute to the human capital development and educational programs for the Arab Republic of Egypt, with an objective to improve the practical, clinical and technological knowledge and skills of students in the engineering and healthcare disciplines.

As part of the agreement, Philips and the SCU will share their expertise and develop consolidated training courses and dedicated internship programs at the newly established Philips Lighting Academy and Philips Healthcare Academy, which will operate in cooperation with the Ain Shams University and the American University of Cairo (AUC).

Philips invests in Egyptian graduate education

Carole Wainaina, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Philips, explains: “Philips is committed to building a sustainable business footprint in Egypt by investing in education and preparing graduates to enter the labor market. Egypt is the fourth largest economy in Africa and the most populous Arab nation, giving the country enormous growth potential. The country has a wealth of technologies and tools, making it imperative to teach young Egyptians the business-relevant skills to become professionals in the work field. The Philips Lighting Academy and Philips Healthcare Academy will assist Egyptian students in expanding their practical knowledge through dedicated internship programs. Additionally, Philips will offer under graduate and post graduate programs, set up together with the AUC and Ain Shams University.”

Professor Ashraf Hatem, Secretary General, Supreme Council of Universities: “Together with Philips, we address the growing education and training needs of Egyptian students. Our collaboration acts upon an acute need for increasing the output of well-trained and skilled professionals in Egypt. We believe that by partnering with Philips, the opportunities Egyptian public universities can provide in the development of both technical and practical competencies of our students will be enhanced. This will increase their chances of entering the labor market and improve the productivity and effectiveness at the workplace on the long-term.” 

Philips Lighting Academy providing scientific and hands-on education

The Philips Lighting Academy, dedicated for Ain Shams University, will facilitate the education, training and preparation of students in the engineering disciplines to become skilled professionals in the challenging work environment in Egypt. The Philips Academy will offer:

1. Specialized internship programs for the students
2. On-job training of selected students in a study tour and/or related activities
3. Ongoing visits to the Philips Lighting Application Center in Egypt (ensuring hands-on training)
4. Post graduate training programs for five fresh graduate engineers.

Philips Healthcare Academy educating graduates and university staff

The Philips Healthcare Academy will focus on educating graduates on clinical and technological skills in medicine and medical technologies. Philips will offer:

1. A well-defined curriculum that will be integrated in the universities’ educational programs
2. Technology and equipment supporting the clinical science program
3. Access to dedicated Philips E-learning programs
4. Technical workshops and training for the universities’ staff to ensure maximum productivity and development of professional methodologies.

Tamer Abol Ghar, CEO, Philips Egypt states: “Philips is committed to creating a sustainable skills base that will ensure a brighter future for the youth in Egypt. Our commitment towards knowledge transfer was established in 2010 through the signing of an agreement with the National Training Institute (NTI) to provide hands-on training to local doctors on Philips’ Healthcare systems. We are honored to partner with the Supreme Council of Universities; together we want to address the growing education and training needs of current students. We look forward to seeing them become part of the new generation of global professionals.”

First stop on the third pan-African road show: Cairo

The Philips Cairo to Cape Town road show 2012 starts in Cairo today and will make its way across eleven countries and seventeen cities in Africa. During the road show, the Philips team will showcase its new innovations and engage with customers, governments, NGOs and media on topics relating to key challenges facing Africa today: Mother and Child Care, Women’s Healthcare, energy efficient LED and solar lighting solutions and clinical education and training.

The next stop is in Alexandria on 17^th May 2012.

For more information please follow the Cairo to Cape Town road show on: www.philips.com/africaroadshow