PROJECT DURATION
2021 - 2024
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Sierra Leone
SECTOR
Automotive repair and maintenance service industry
About
Ranking 181st out of 189 countries and territories on the Human Development Index ranking, Sierra Leone remains one of the poorest countries in the world. In a country where youth constitute a third of the population, youth unemployment and underemployment stands at a staggering 70%, with approximately 800,000 youths actively searching for employment today.
In the automotive repair and maintenance service industry in Sierra Leone, expanding vehicle registrations and increasing transport imports point to its potential for growth and job creation. However, the industry struggles to find workers who are able to meet the relevant auto mechanic skills requirements.
One of the root causes for this skills mismatch is the insufficient and defective technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system, which does not correspond to the economic realities outside the school system.
Project
The proposed project aims to contribute to closing the skills gap in Sierra Leone’s automotive aftermarket industry in order to support the country’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2019-2023 and to contribute to decent employment opportunities for youth in Sierra Leone.
The project focuses on the development of a system that has the capacity to train youths in automotive technician skills and entrepreneurship skills, as well as to promote employment/self-employment in the trade. This will be achieved by:
• Developing and accrediting competency-based and demand-driven modern curricula for automotive technician and entrepreneurship training
• Establishing a regional centre of excellence for automotive technician training
• Providing vocational training, career services and business coaching to unemployed and underemployed youths
BENEFICIARIES
• Unemployed and underemployed youths
• Vocational Training Center (VTC) whose facilities will be upgraded
• VTC trainers and management staff who will enhance their skills through training
• Local and international companies
• The Sierra Leone TVET system
PROGRAMME PARTNERS
- Government of Japan
- Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, Sierra Leone
- The proposed project will seek possible collaboration and synergies with foreign and local private sector companies and other development partners such as JICA.