CIRA is branching out into the care economy with the launch of CIRA Care, a new arm focused on care economy services, the education outfit announced at a launch event attended by EnterpriseAM. The new venture will be set up with a capital of EGP 60 mn and provide early childhood care, healthcare services, disability support, and elderly care services, CIRA CEO Mohamed El Kalla told EnterpriseAM on the sidelines of the event.

The move represents "a transformative shift for CIRA" as it expands beyond offering more traditional forms of education through its schools and universities, El Kalla said. But the notion of education is still a key aspect at the heart of the new venture, according to El Kalla, who explained to us that it is only through education that the needs of the local and regional labour markets will be met — and that applies to the care economy too.

But first, what exactly is the care economy? The care economy by most definitions refers to all labour — paid and unpaid — that is focussed on providing care for people, whether children, those with disabilities, the elderly, or anyone who needs an extra helping hand in their day-to-day lives. The sector includes childcare, care for the elderly, healthcare, and domestic work — incredibly important services to not just those receiving them, but for society as a whole and the healthy functioning of the economy.

Although often unregulated and undervalued, the global care economy is huge, with the industry employing some 11.5% of the global population — amounting to 381 mn people — according to the International Labour Organization. Demand for care is only set to grow, with the number of those in need of care around the world expected to increase to 2.3 bn people by 2030.

The new outfit will focus on four key segments of the care economy, with CIRA Care to train staff in and offer early childhood services, assistance for those with disabilities, healthcare support, and elderly care via home care providers and community support providers, El Kalla told EnterpriseAM.

The initiative is hoping to position “Egypt as a leading exporter of skilled care workers,” the company said in a statement(pdf) covering the launch. To this end, care workers will be trained in programs developed in collaboration with leading world institutions in the field, before attaining internationally recognized certificates as testament to their knowledge and commitment. The new venture will also strategically place the newly trained care providers with their first assignment.

CIRA Care will also continue to support and train its staff, with the company set to provide upskilling programs and continuing professional development so the care workers can keep up with an evolving sector. On the job front, CIRA Care will also have “dedicated hubs facilitating seamless job connections.”

To achieve these ambitious goals, CIRA Care inked 13 MoUs with prestigious global educational institutions, professional training providers, development agencies, and HR organizations. The roster includes Mohawk College, Texas International Education Consortium, Thompson Rivers University, Bow Valley College, Amidest, Emirates Scholar Research Center, SIS - Middle East Training Services, Egyptian Nursing Syndicate, Upscale, Badr University in Cairo, Badr University in Assiut, Saxony Egypt University, and Innovvette for Education.

This extensive partner network will help CIRA Care align with international standards in care service delivery and talent development programs. This will help pave the way for expansion into five key markets initially, which El Kalla named the US, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in comments to EnterpriseAM.

The company aims to provide 1k qualified care service professionals by the end of 2025 to meet both local market needs and serve its five initial export markets. However, El Kalla expects the company in future years to generate over 5k jobs in the sector annually.

CIRA Care wants to redefine regional care standards in the region by working to amend labour laws for informal workers, creating training programs, expanding care infrastructure through public-private partnerships, opening up access to care services, and using international agreements and scholarships to attract top talent to the sector.

Your top education stories for the week:

  • The Education Ministry has proposed replacing the Thanaweya Amma system with the Egyptian baccalaureate system — a move it argues will offer a simpler and more inclusive model that integrates arts and sciences tracks. The system is expected to be introduced for first-year high school students in the next academic year if it receives the necessary approvals.
  • CIRA Education majority shareholder Social Impact Capital is now offering a price-per-share of EGP 15.5 in its acquisition bid for the EGX-listed educational services provider, up from EGP 15.0 previously. The move follows financial advisor BDO Keys Financial Consulting putting fair value of the company at EGP 17.95 per share.
  • The government plans to hire 72k teachers to tackle the nationwide shortage, with the government falling 12k teachers behind its 30k a year target for 2024 and with 60k to recruit throughout 2025 and 2026.
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