Training and Vocational Development Under the 2025 Law
Book Two of the 2025 Labour Law is dedicated to training, employment, and informal labour. The training provisions (Articles 29 onwards) apply to all training centres operating under the law and cover several categories of people, including:
- People wishing to train in a new profession or skill
- Persons with disabilities and people of short stature, who receive priority consideration
- Trainees (المتدرجون) working for an employer while learning a trade
- People seeking higher or continuing professional development
- Industrial apprentices (عمال التلمذة الصناعية)
For expats looking to develop new skills or transition into a different professional field in Egypt, the law creates a framework of supported, regulated training with defined rights.
What Is a Trainee Under Egyptian Law?
The 2025 law (Article 14) specifically defines a trainee (المتدرج) as:
A person who joins an employer for the purpose of learning a profession, trade, or craft, in exchange for remuneration.
This is an important distinction from a regular employee. Trainees have their own legal category, distinct from standard workers, but they still benefit from many of the same core protections under the law — including:
- Free access to the courts for disputes arising from their trainee relationship (Article 20)
- Protection from discrimination in training and placement
- Priority privileged lien on employer assets for any remuneration owed to them (Article 21)
If you are an expat undertaking a formal traineeship or apprenticeship in Egypt, you should ensure your arrangement is properly documented and that your remuneration and training objectives are clearly set out in writing.
Vocational Guidance and National Occupational Classification
Article 30 of the law gives the competent administrative authority responsibility for:
- Providing vocational guidance to people seeking training, helping them choose professions aligned with their skills and aptitudes
- Developing a National Occupational Classification (التصنيف المهنى الوطنى) covering professions, trades, and occupations — in coordination with relevant ministries, employer organisations, and trade unions
For expats, the national occupational classification is relevant because it underpins rules about which roles require Egyptian nationals to hold a professional licence (ترخيص مزاولة المهنة) before practising. Article 6 of the law provides that employers may employ workers without a licence for up to three years from the date implementing regulations on licensing are issued, giving businesses a transitional period to regularise their position.
The Training and Rehabilitation Fund
Under Article 2, the Training and Rehabilitation Fund (صندوق تمويل التدريب والتأهيل), originally established under the 2003 Labour Law, continues to operate as a public legal entity under the supervision of the Minister of Labour. This fund:
- Finances vocational training and skills development programmes
- Continues to exercise its mandate under the new regulatory framework
- Operates according to rules set out in the accompanying law
Expats employed by Egyptian companies may indirectly benefit from this fund if their employer accesses training programmes it finances.
Social and Health Services Fund
Article 3 confirms the continuation of the Social, Health, and Cultural Services Fund (صندوق الخدمات الاجتماعية والصحية والثقافية) for workers, also under the Ministry of Labour. This fund provides social welfare, health, and cultural services to workers covered by the law.
Additionally, the National Wages Council (المجلس القومى للأجور) continues to function, reviewing and recommending minimum wage levels and wage structures across sectors. Decisions of the National Wages Council affect the salary floors that apply to all workers, including expats.
Informal Workers: Special Protections Under the 2025 Law
A significant innovation in the 2025 law is its attention to informal or irregular workers (العمالة غير المنتظمة) — people who work without formal employment contracts or in casual, seasonal, or day-labour arrangements. While most expats work under formal contracts, some foreign nationals in Egypt do work informally, and this is an area where the law now offers clearer protection.
Article 7 transfers all assets, liabilities, and resources from the social welfare accounts previously held by the Ministry of Labour's provincial directorates for informal workers to the new Emergency Assistance and Social and Health Services Fund for Informal Workers (صندوق إعانات الطوارئ والخدمات الاجتماعية والصحية للعمالة غير المنتظمة).
This means informal workers now have access to:
- Emergency financial assistance
- Health and social services
- Dedicated institutional support through a formally constituted fund
Professional Licensing: What Expats in Regulated Professions Need to Know
Article 6 of the 2025 law allows employers to engage workers in licensed professions without immediately holding the required professional licence, provided they regularise the position within three years of the relevant licensing regulations being issued.
However, there is a Presidential exception built into this article that can allow early or different arrangements in specific circumstances. For expats working in regulated professions — such as medicine, engineering, law, or accounting — you should:
- Verify whether your profession requires a licence under Egyptian law
- Confirm that your employer has applied or intends to apply for the relevant licence
- Obtain your own professional registration with the relevant Egyptian syndicate or professional body where required
Employer Reporting Requirements and What They Mean for You
Article 8 requires all businesses subject to the law to submit a detailed workforce report to the Ministry of Labour within 30 days of the law's entry into force. This report must include:
- Total number and categories of employees
- Employee ages and genders
- Qualifications and job titles
- Wage categories
This reporting requirement creates an official record of your employment. If your employer fails to report accurately, this could affect your legal status and entitlements. As an expat, it is worth confirming with your employer that your details have been correctly included in any such report.
Key Practical Steps for Expats
- If you are a trainee or apprentice, ensure your arrangement is documented in a written agreement that specifies your remuneration, training objectives, and duration
- If you work in a regulated profession, confirm your licensing status and your employer's compliance with professional licensing requirements
- If you are working informally, understand that the new law creates better-defined channels for accessing emergency assistance and social services
- Ask your employer about access to training and development programmes, including those financed through the Training and Rehabilitation Fund
- Stay informed about National Wages Council decisions that may affect minimum salary thresholds in your sector
- Verify that your employer has submitted the Article 8 workforce report and that your details are accurately recorded