Monrovia – The French Government and Liberian Government have signed a 10 million euro grant agreement to support the national Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) policy in Liberia.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Finance Development and Planning in Monrovia , French Ambassador, Terence Wills, said the project will be developed by the Institute for European Corporation Development (IECD) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Education to support the TVET policy and develop income generating agriculture sectors for a duration of five years.
He stressed that the project is intended to strengthen the TVET training system to improve the socio-professional integration of Liberian youth in the labour market.
It can be recalled that the TVET Policy, together with an Operational Plan was developed in 2015 to address the current fragmentation within the sector by the Ministry of Youth and Sports under the stewardship of M. Boakai Jaleiba, former Asst. Minister/TVET.
He pinpointed that the project is expected to train at least 2,000 Liberian youth with highly needed technical qualifications in the fields of electricity, construction, agriculture and coding after five years.
Ambassador Wills maintained that IECD will accompany six vocational training centers to update their educational models, organization and economic models by reinforcing their connection with the private sector.
He pointed out that the six vocational training centers to be accompanied by IECD are Tumutu Agriculture School, Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC), and William V.S. Tubman High School. Booker Washington Institute (BWI), Liberia Opportunity Industrial Center (LOIC) and Don Bosco.
He indicated that part of the grant will serve the development of sustainable and income-generating agricultural sector in fish-farming and vegetable-gardening.
Ambassador Wills stated that the project will effectively be launched in September 2020, noting that it has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Meanwhile, Liberian Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, who signed on behalf of the Government of Liberia, lauded the French Government for the project to provide highly technical and Vocational skills for Liberian youth.
Minister Tweah stated that TVET training is critical toward transforming employment from the formal sector to the informal sector in more countries in Africa and Liberia cannot be exception.
He noted that the project will go a long way to reduce the vulnerability of youth employment in Liberia.
He stressed that the government remains committed to empower Liberian youth to acquire the needed skills to transform their livelihood.
