DXC partners with Egypt’s ITIDA for neurodiverse IT talent program
VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, and GIZA, EGYPT — DXC Technology, an IT services provider, has partnered with Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) to launch the DXC Dandelion Program in the country.
The three-year initiative aims to train and integrate up to 60 neurodiverse individuals into the IT workforce, leveraging their unique skills to address industry gaps.
“We are proud to witness this partnership, which reflects our commitment to ensuring that all citizens can contribute meaningfully to Egypt’s digital transformation,” said Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology.
DXC scales global IT services and Egypt delivery hubs
DXC is a Fortune 500 company based in the United States and globally in the IT services industry; it helps its clients modernize their systems, optimize their operations, and integrate AI, and it prioritizes security and the management of critical workloads.
The company is a highly experienced engineering and consulting firm that provides industry partners around the globe with innovation and momentum to operate.
DXC continues to serve clients globally, especially through parallel strategic investments that leverage specialized regional hubs, using its new AI and cybersecurity co-creation center in the Philippines to power enterprise innovation while simultaneously expanding its AI-powered SAP capabilities in the Middle East and Africa to help clients modernize and accelerate ROI.
In 2004, ITIDA was created as the executive branch of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and is charged with leading the development of the IT industry in Egypt and enhancing its global competitiveness.
The agency, headquartered in Smart Village, Cairo, is geared towards attracting foreign direct investment and enhancing IT exports by mentoring local talent through the formation of public-private alliances to make Egypt a top destination for technology and business services worldwide.
Program supports Egypt’s Digital Egypt Strategy, ICT growth
According to Talaat’s explanation, this partnership will be structured to help Egypt achieve its national vision, enabling all its citizens to contribute to the country’s digitalization through the provision of appropriate training, resources, and opportunities.
The program aligns with the Digital Egypt Strategy, which aims to increase citizens’ upskilling, create economic opportunities, and improve workplaces that benefit citizens.
The program’s launch caters to a sector of strategic importance. Egypt’s ICT sector has been growing at 14% to 16% annually for seven years, contributes nearly 6% to GDP, and has digital exports projected to reach $7.4 billion this year.
By building a more inclusive, future-ready workforce, the collaboration between DXC and ITIDA aims to strengthen Egypt’s position as a leading technology hub and reliable offshoring destination, directly supporting this high-growth economic pillar.
Model for harnessing neurodiverse tech talent
The program is not an experiment but the geographical scaling of an established, award-winning corporate social responsibility model. The DXC Dandelion Program was founded in Australia in 2014 and has since been implemented in the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, and the Philippines.
It has created employment for more than 350 neurodivergent individuals globally and has received over 25 international awards, validating its methodology and social impact.
The program’s design is tailored to unlock the specific aptitudes common in neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism and ADHD, which are highly valuable in IT. As explained by DXC’s Neveen Galal, these include extraordinary abilities in focused concentration, attention to detail, pattern recognition, and out-of-the-box thinking.
It offers a gateway by providing a combination of life skills, professional support from inclusion specialists, and technical training in fields such as software testing, infrastructure monitoring, AI, and data analytics, without prior professional experience, but with a desire to work in technology.
“Through such programs, we aim to open equitable opportunities, expand participation in the digital economy, and build a skilled workforce that meets market needs while strengthening Egypt’s position as a leading technology hub and reliable offshoring destination,” said Ahmed Elzaher, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ITIDA.
The objective of this emphasis on establishing a supportive environment is to address critical industry skills shortages by tapping an untapped talent pool.
