On the 3rd March 2020, the National Youth Commission met with partner institutions in the implementation of the ‘Youth Skills Development Project’, along the Bandajuma Liberia Border Road.

The project which is funded by the European Union through the National Authorizing Office will train 1,540 youth in roads construction skills.
The meeting was conveyed to discuss details in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between NAYCOM and Compagnie Sahélienned ‘Entreprises (CSE) and the roles of the various partners including Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), Local Content Agency, Sierra Leone Institute of Engineers and the National Council for Technical Vocational and other Academic Awards (NCTVA).
Ing. Mohamed A. Jalloh Director of NCTVA said they will engage the construction company CSE to map out the curriculum for training. He advised that the certificate issued after the training be ‘standardized to give the young people the opportunity to compete for such jobs outside Sierra Leone.’
Ing. Alfred Jalil Momodu, Director of Operations SLRA said in as much as there is a skills gap, the attitude of young people towards self-development has to be a major challenge to closing the skills gap. He mentioned ‘negative attitude to work and petty crimes in the workplace are constraints reported by employers.’
NAYCOM’s Commissioner Ngolo Katta said the project will train the young people in life skills and also embark on effective monitoring of the project. He affirmed that ‘the successful implementation of this pilot project will give the Commission leverage to engage other companies