The Eshtaghal EXPO kicked off Friday with the aim of breaking the barrier between youth and more than 25 companies.

“We are creating real work and training opportunities,” said Hossam Farid, CEO of the Egyptian Junior Business Association (EJB), and the main organiser of the employment fair.

EJB signed a protocol of collaboration with PepsiCo to provide 2,000 job opportunities and 12,000 internships in Egypt.

Providing work and training chances, employers are to present the qualifications that are required in the person applying for a particular job.

“The name of the expo is a direct order to all Egyptians, whether on a farm, in a factory, or in a school [to work] in order to face decades of accumulated problems,” said Trade Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour during the opening ceremony.

Encouraging entrepreneurship and small business projects is one of the messages of the expo, Abdel Nour said. Another message is the importance of training to heighten productivity and efficiency, which is at the top of the government’s priorities, the minister stated.

The fair also aims to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors for youth, while presenting technical and other non-financial support, said the Social Fund for Development’s Secretary General, Soha Solaiman.

The fair is taking place on Saturday and Sunday at the Social Fund for Development Building’s Conference Room.

EJB was founded in 1999 by a group of young business executives and entrepreneurs aged between 25 and 45 years old, representing various business sectors.