By Aminaash Nyande Brima, Information Attaché
Sierra Leone has highlighted its efforts to equip young people with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy.
Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, outlined the country’s youth skills and employment agenda during the fifth edition of the Youth Knowledge Forum, which opened on Monday, September 7, 2026, at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat, Morocco.
Held under the theme “From Crisis to Sustainability,” the two-day forum brought together ministers, policymakers, experts and young people to discuss global challenges, sustainability, employment and the future of skills.
The forum was jointly organised 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,” Deputy Minister Aziz-Kamara said governments must move beyond education systems that focus primarily on academic qualifications and place greater emphasis on practical skills, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship and innovation.
“The world today benefits those who can learn, adapt, innovate and collaborate,” he said.
He encouraged young people to view global changes not only as challenges but also as opportunities for personal empowerment, decent employment and sustainable development.
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 advancement, have further demonstrated the importance of resilience, adaptability and lifelong learning.
According to him, emerging sectors such as information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital entrepreneurship and the green economy are creating new opportunities for young people.
“Young people need more than technical knowledge,” he said. “They require critical thinking, communication, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills.”
Aziz-Kamara said the Government of President Julius Maada Bio has made human capital development a central national priority, with particular emphasis on technical and vocational education and training.
He said Government Technical Institutes are being upgraded to provide young people with practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship, while education reforms are being implemented to better align training with labour-market demands and national development priorities.
He further highlighted the promotion of technical and vocational education, apprenticeships, internships and work-based learning, alongside stronger partnerships between educational institutions, employers and development partners.
He said career guidance should also help young people identify emerging professions instead of focusing exclusively on traditional office-based employment.
The Deputy Minister stressed that inclusion must go beyond access to classrooms, noting that young people should have equal opportunities regardless of gender, disability, location or socioeconomic circumstances.
“No young person should be left behind because of gender, disability, location or socioeconomic circumstances,” he emphasized.
He said the Government is expanding access to quality education, technical training and digital learning, particularly for underserved communities, while encouraging greater participation by women and girls in science, technology and entrepreneurship.
As part of the country’s TVET reforms, Government Technical Institutes are being expanded across all 16 districts, with plans to upgrade them into community colleges.
The Government is also introducing mobile training units and developing a Dual Apprenticeship Policy aimed at combining classroom-based learning with practical, on-the-job workplace training.
Aziz-Kamara said youth employment remains a key component of Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and the Government’s Big Five Game Changers.
He highlighted the Youth Employment Scheme (YES), which aims to facilitate the creation of 500,000 jobs for young people by 2030.
He also cited the planned expansion of the Dual Apprenticeship Programme, which targets the placement of 5,000 apprentices by 2027 in sectors including tourism, construction, agribusiness and renewable energy.
The Government is further promoting competency-based education and training, recognition of prior learning and increased private-sector participation in curriculum development to ensure that training programmes reflect actual labour-market needs.
Investment in agro-processing, construction, manufacturing, ICT and renewable energy is also expected to create additional employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people.
The fifth Youth Knowledge Forum features a digital-twin model that connects participants in five locations in real time.
Rabat serves as the main hub, with the forum linked to centres in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation.
Discussions at the forum focus on 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 at the Rabat forum was clear: the future of the country’s young people will depend not only on the qualifications they acquire but also on their ability to develop relevant skills, adapt to change, innovate and turn opportunities into sustainable livelihoods.
As the global economy continues to evolve, Sierra Leone says it remains committed to ensuring that its young people are equipped not merely to cope with change, but to lead and shape it.
The Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of Morocco, His Excellency Alhaji Momodu Koroma, was among the dignitaries who attended the forum.