Egypt’s MCIT Builds Nationwide Digital Culture Using AWS Training in AI and ML

Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) faced a gap in the technical skills it needed to support a digital transformation, so it turned to Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build a training program for information and communication technology (ICT) employees.

Using AWS Training and Certification, which helps organizations build and validate skills so that they can get more out of the cloud, MCIT developed a program focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to help accelerate its digital transformation.

MCIT implements information technology (IT) strategies in Egypt and is focusing on digital skills and jobs, innovation, and the digital transformation of its ICT infrastructure, which previously lacked an application layer to manage communication protocols. Part of that strategy aims to grow micro-, small-, and medium-size ICT enterprises by strengthening their AI and ML capabilities so that they can be integrated into government-led transformation projects.

MCIT supports that initiative by helping the IT workforce advance its skills and knowledge through AWS Training. “We selected AWS as our cloud service provider because of its many services and its expertise in the domains of AI and ML,” says Ayman Saad El-Din, senior advisor to the deputy minister of MCIT.

Launched in July 2020, MCIT’s 18-week AI and ML training program features knowledge-transfer support, digital courses, and hands-on challenges that let trainees practice for real-world use cases. Held virtually, classroom trainings are available to participants nationwide. The program is funded by MCIT, so there is no charge to participants.

AWS helped MCIT select applicants by conducting interviews and offering criteria. As of May 2021, 375 professionals had completed the program, and 125 were in progress. Of the trainees, 10 percent are Egyptian government employees. Participants can earn the AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty certification, which validates a candidate’s ability to design, implement, deploy, and maintain ML solutions for given business problems. Trainees who earn this AWS Certification can now deliver AI and ML services on AWS to build ICT capacity in the Egyptian government and across entire industries within the country.

The program kick-started MCIT’s cultural transformation. “Trainees know how to think outside the box,” says Saad El-Din. “Using AWS Training helps guide them toward the future and our digital transformation.”

One trainee is helping AWS and MCIT create a public search portal primarily using Amazon SageMaker, which helps data scientists and developers prepare, build, train, and deploy high-quality ML models quickly. Tourists will be able to use this portal to search digitized documents detailing 7,000 years of Egyptian history.

Egypt’s MCIT plans to train more professionals over time. “AWS provides us with valuable input as we implement a wider range for this project,” says Saad El-Din. For building a specialized workforce, MCIT’s digital initiative serves as a proof of concept for other countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

“We are happy to use AWS,” says Khaled El Attar, MCIT’s vice minister for administrative development, digital transformation, and automation. “Our training programs will help over 100,000 Egyptian professionals to work, participate, and collaborate in the digital transformation.”