The inaugural employer survey from the leading Washington D.C. based online university, Nexford University, reveals the major hiring challenges being faced by 78% of leading Egyptian companies – including the likes of PWC, Pfizer and the National Bank of Egypt.

This survey raises awareness of Egypt’s growing skills shortage, in line with global trends seen in most fast-changing, growing economies. Last year, the World Economic Forum predicted over one billion people – a third of the world’s workforce – would need to reskill by 2030.

The Nexford Employer Survey also reveals:

Hiring:

• 48% of organizations anticipate hiring new full-time staff over the next 12 months, with the majority intending to hire in sales-related roles
• 70% of employers said they would hire more entry-level talent, if they were more job-ready
• 80% of employers consider MBA candidates more job-ready compared to those without an MBA

Upskilling:

• 51% of employers say over 20% of their team needs upskilling
• 51% of employers would consider sponsoring employees to upskill
• 62% of employers say technology investment is falling short due to skill gaps

Fadl Al Tarzi, CEO of Nexford University, commented: “This eye-opening data is consistent with trends we’re seeing across the world, including in the US. It is a wakeup call that employers, jobseekers and educators need to rethink the nature of their relationship. The current skill gaps are only going to widen due to the accelerating pace of technology disruption. At Nexford, we believe the solution is in rethinking the way companies hire and the way universities collaborate with employers. We’re looking to bring to Egypt a platform to create a seamless relationship integrating employers’ needs within our university, to produce more qualified graduates, and provide employees with high quality, yet affordable, upskilling and reskilling options.”

The findings reveal employment trends in Egypt, with nearly half of employers looking to hire full-time staff in the next 12 months. However, their search is hindered by a widening skills shortage across all levels.

Sales and Marketing roles ranked as the most complicated to hire for, with 60% of employers ranking them as ‘Extremely Difficult’ to fill.

Business Analytics skills were in shortest supply with over half (52%) of employers saying they find it ‘Hard’ or ‘Very Hard’ to find talent with this skill. Also lacking were Digital Transformation (45%) and Digital Marketing (37%). Other skills shortages include Creative Thinking (40%), Time Management (37%) and Problem Solving (28%). 53% of employers said they would consider sponsoring employees to upskill.