Sierra Leone Highlights Youth Skills and Employment Agenda at Global Knowledge Forum in Rabat

Rabat, Morocco — Sierra Leone has outlined its vision for preparing young people for employment in a rapidly changing global economy, with a focus on technical skills, digital transformation, entrepreneurship and inclusive access to opportunities.

The Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, presented Sierra Leone’s approach during the fifth edition of the Youth Knowledge Forum, which opened on Monday, September 7, at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat.

Held under the theme “From Crisis to Sustainability,” the two-day forum brings together ministers, policymakers, experts and young people to discuss global crises, sustainability, employment and the future of skills.

The forum is jointly organized by ICESCO, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Speaking on the theme “Your Career in a Changing World,” Hon. Aziz-Kamara said governments must move beyond education systems focused primarily on academic qualifications and instead equip young people with practical skills, employment opportunities and entrepreneurial capacity.

“The world today benefits those who can learn, adapt, innovate and collaborate,” he said.

He emphasized that young people should be supported to see global change not as a source of exclusion, but as a pathway to opportunity, dignity, self-empowerment and sustainable development.

From Crisis to Opportunity

The Deputy Minister reflected on Sierra Leone’s experience of conflict and other crises, noting that young people were among those most severely affected by the country’s civil war and its long-term consequences.

He said recent global challenges—including the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruptions, climate-related emergencies and rapid technological change—have further demonstrated the importance of resilience, adaptability and lifelong learning.

At the same time, he said new opportunities are emerging in information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital entrepreneurship and the green economy.

“Young people need more than technical knowledge,” he said. “They require critical thinking, communication, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills.”

Investing in Skills and Employment

Hon. Aziz-Kamara said the government of President Julius Maada Bio has made human capital development a central national priority, with a strong focus on technical and vocational education and training.

Government technical institutes are being upgraded to provide practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship, while education reforms seek to better align training with labour-market demands and national development priorities.

The Deputy Minister said Sierra Leone is promoting technical and vocational education, apprenticeships, internships and work-based learning, alongside stronger partnerships between educational institutions, employers and development partners.

Career guidance, he added, must also help young people identify emerging professions rather than focusing exclusively on traditional office-based employment.

Inclusive Opportunities

Hon. Aziz-Kamara stressed that inclusion must extend beyond access to classrooms.

“No young person should be left behind because of gender, disability, location or socioeconomic circumstances,” he emphasized, noting that President Bio’s government is focusing on youth empowerment through its core national strategy, known as the Big Five Game Changers, to empower young people for the future.

Sierra Leone is expanding access to quality education, technical training and digital learning, particularly for underserved communities, while promoting greater participation by women and girls in science, technology and entrepreneurship.

The Sierra Leone government is expanding Government Technical Institutes across all 16 districts and upgrading them into community colleges as part of nationwide TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) reforms.

Mobile training units and policies such as the planned Dual Apprenticeship Policy aim to combine classroom instruction with practical, on-site workplace training to support national growth and key industrial sectors.

Preparing for the Jobs of the Future

The Deputy Minister said youth employment remains central to Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and the government’s Big Five Game Changers, particularly the Youth Employment Scheme (YES), which aims to create 500,000 new jobs for young people by 2030.

Among the initiatives highlighted was the planned expansion of the Dual Apprenticeship Programme, targeting the placement of 5,000 apprentices by 2027 in sectors including tourism, construction, agribusiness and renewable energy.

The government is also promoting competency-based education and training, recognition of prior learning and stronger private-sector involvement in designing curricula to ensure that training reflects labour-market needs.

Investment in agro-processing, construction, manufacturing, ICT and renewable energy is also expected to create new employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

A Forum Connected Across Five Countries

The fifth Youth Knowledge Forum features a pioneering digital-twin model connecting participants across five locations. Rabat serves as the main hub, linked in real time with centres in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation.

The forum examines global crises, sustainability, the future of jobs and skills, labour-market transformation and the growing gap between education and employment.

For Sierra Leone, the message delivered in Rabat was clear: the future of the country’s young people will depend not simply on the qualifications they obtain, but on their ability to acquire relevant skills, adapt, innovate and transform opportunities into sustainable livelihoods.

As the global economy continues to evolve, Sierra Leone says it is determined to ensure that its young people are equipped not merely to survive change, but to lead it.

The Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of Morocco, His Excellency Alhaji Momodu Koroma, was among the dignitaries who attended the forum.