Liberian TVET Institutions Receive Upgraded Facilities through Support from UNIDO

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has provided these institutions with new facilities that now have modern electrical, automotive, carpentry, masonry, computer technology, and textile-making equipment.

Additionally, a modern national TVET Center for Professional Training, Research and Innovation (TCPTIR), which is expected to serve as a hub to provide training for vocational instructors and trainers across the country, has also been constructed by UNIDO. The intervention is under the Youth Rising program, which aims to support TVET institutions to deliver quality education in order to prepare the youth for future employment opportunities.

The support from  UNIDO is under the Youth Rising program, which aims to support TVET institutions to deliver quality education in order to prepare the youth for future employment opportunities and is funded by the EU and the Swedish Government.  With these aims, the project, apart from improving TVET quality, will make TVET institutions more widespread across Liberia, have a special emphasis on female inclusion, and provide for the disabled, vulnerable youth, rural area youth, and the out-of-school youth.

The goal of the TVET program in Liberia, according to Anthony Nimely, UNIDO Deputy Project Manager for Youth Rising, is for beneficiaries to be able to integrate into the labor market or develop their own jobs.  He also said that the project promotes human capacity building, such as teacher training, with teachers in South Africa, Zambia, and Kenya. 

“We now have welding teachers in South Africa,” Nimely said, “and we are continuing further training at ArcelorMittal Liberia Training Academy.” 

According to him, the government sought cooperation from the EU in its efforts to strengthen technical and vocational education in Liberia, and the Swedish government agreed to provide it. 

“Right now,” he said, “the Swedish government is sponsoring TVET only at the Voinjama Multilateral High School, while the EU is funding an additional six schools, including the MVTC, Tubman. As a result, this action benefits all of these institutions.” 

Nimely, on the other hand, stated that the EU is sponsoring six new TVET institutions in Maryland, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, Montserrado, and Margibi counties, “so all of these institutions benefit from this intervention.” 

The project, also aligned with the country’s national TVET policy, is implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Millias Z. B. Sheriff, Assistant Youth and Sports Minister for TVET, praised the EU and the Swedish government for the degree of TVET assistance provided to the government.  He stated that once the Youth Rising initiative is completed, it will help thousands of young people who will be motivated to enroll and improve their individual abilities for the betterment of Liberia. 

“As far as the government is concerned, the young people themselves must take advantage of these chances by executing the President’s vision through her partners, which is ensuring that TVET becomes highly lively and parallels the academy.  We can have all of these structures and technological equipment, but if we don't use them, they will become useless. 

“So these contributions from our partners, which are well-implemented by UNIDO and controlled by the government, are something that young people should make use of,” he said, answering queries from the media.