Egypt and Italy signed a EGP 40.8 million ($2.5 million) agreement to scale up a project for applied technology high schools aimed at upgrading technical education in the country, the cabinet said on Thursday.

The deal is part of a larger agreement worth $100 million under an Egyptian-Italian debt swap programme, which aims to direct Egypt’s debts to Italy towards development projects.

The project is designed to upgrade Egypt’s technical education by setting up a network of applied technology schools to provide highly trained technicians. It is planned to benefit 130,000 students and offer training to 3,000 educators and administrative workers by 2030.

Cooperation between Egypt and Italy under the Egyptian-Italian debt swap programme is valued at 350 million euros, according to the cabinet. The two countries had signed two deals under the programme worth $150 million and $100 million.

This week's agreement was signed by International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat, Education Minister Tarek Shawky and Italian Ambassador to Cairo Giampaolo Cantini.

Egypt has set up 11 such schools in the fields of industry, agriculture, trade and hospitality in different governorates since the education ministry launched the project in the 2018-2019 academic year.

Egypt aims to set up 100 applied technology schools by 2030, officials had said earlier.