According to the World Bank, youth unemployment is 21 percent in the Middle East and 25 percent in North Africa. Silatech’s programmes are aligned with global efforts, and have helped empower youth and reduce unemployment and poverty.

Through a regional partnership with Microsoft, Silatech launched Ta3mal, in 2012 as an employability portal that provides young people with all the resources they need to find a job or start their own business. Here, young people have access to aptitude testing and career guidance counseling. There are tips on how to write a CV and how to prepare for a job interview.

For aspiring young entrepreneurs, Ta3mal shows them how to create a business plan and obtain an essential bank loan. There are tips on marketing and leadership skills, and counselors are available to answer questions each step of the way.

In addition to a regional version of the portal, the innovative services of the platform are available in eight countries, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Qatar, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt. Ta3mal has around 500,000 registered users and is offered in Arabic, French and English. It contains more than 1,000 e-learning programmes to develop users’ skills and support entrepreneurship.