Thousands of young people to benefit from partnership between IOM and Government of Japan in Sierra Leone

At least 2,000 Sierra Leonean youths facing chronic unemployment or underemployment will receive market-driven vocational training over the next three years under a project funded by the Government of Japan.

“IOM has a long-standing experience addressing issues related to youth, migration, and employment,” said Sanusi Savage, Head of the IOM Office in Sierra Leone. “We hope that through this new initiative, we can unlock the entrepreneurship potential of Sierra Leonean youths and help them contribute to the development of the country.”

More than 60 percent of Sierra Leonean youths are unemployed or underemployed. The West African country has been slowly recovering from the devastation caused by an 11-year civil war (1991 – 2002) and the recent Ebola crisis (2013 – 2016), which has led to massive rural-urban mobility, especially among young people.

This population growth in urban areas has impacted infrastructure and essential service delivery, including housing, schools, jobs, water, health, electricity, sanitation, etc.

Funded by the Government of Japan, Reducing the Risk of Irregular Migration through Employment Promotion and Entrepreneurship Support for the Youth will be implemented over three years from 2019 to 2022.

The new project will contribute to youth and women’s empowerment through vocational and entrepreneurship skills training. A partnership will be developed with Sierra Tropical, a Sierra Leone-based juice manufacturing company, to provide internships and on-the-job training to young people and women across the country.

Two hundred and forty youths will also receive entrepreneurship trainings, business start-up kits, and long-term mentoring from industry professionals to ensure the sustainability of their ventures.

Original source: IOM
Published on 09 April 2019