Sierra Leone

Document
Employment promotion programme: Needs-oriented qualification for youth
Publication Date: 31 Mar 2016
Source: Governments
Over 60 per cent of young people in Sierra Leone are unemployed or underemployed. The lack of prospects – one of the principal causes of the lengthy civil war – is still considered a major threat to peace and stability in Sierra Leone by the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission.

Youth employment is a source of great economic potential. Yet in the twelve years since the end of the armed conflict, the country’s production and employment potential has still not been fully tapped, especially in the rural private sector. Skilled workers are in short supply. And after a decade of civil war and poor government funding, the education situation also remains inadequate. Around half of Sierra Leone’s population is unable to read or write. Without needs-oriented training and practical work experience, it is difficult for young people in particular to find productive employment. This factsheet presents the context, objectives, approach and achievements of the project ‘Promoting youth employment through agricultural development’ (2005-2016) commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Sierra Leone.
Document
Review of Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) in Africa - Best practices from Benin, Ethiopia, Namibia and Sierra Leone
Publication Date: 11 Nov 2015
Source: Bilateral organizations
Within the overall Programme to “Support Pan-African Reform Processes in Agricultural Development (NEPAD/CAADP)”, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), a new project called “Promotion of Technical Vocational Education and Training for the Agricultural Sector in Africa (ATVET)” has been launched by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA) and the CAADP-Secretariat in 2012.

In order to review existing ATVET activities, to identify best practices and to provide recommendations for further implementation of the GIZ/NPCA ATVET project, four countries were selected for a stocktaking exercise: Benin, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Namibia. As an outcome of this review, a number of opportunities and best practices and also gaps in the ATVET system in the four countries, were identified. This brochure summarises the findings of the study.
Document
Skills development for youth living with disabilities in four developing countries
Publication Date: 20 Aug 2014
Source: International organizations
This paper outlines some of the key challenges and opportunities regarding skills development for youth with disabilities. It focuses on those who are no longer in formal education, but who, for a variety of reasons, are not yet in formal employment. Where possible, it outlines the extent of labour force participation amongst youth living with disabilities, and discusses the barriers to participation.

In order to highlight these challenges and opportunities, the paper explores the situation in four low- and middle-income countries to better understand how economic growth, or lack thereof, impacts on youth employment. The four countries selected – China, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Sierra Leone – all experience high youth unemployment rates (in line with many countries across the world) but for a variety of different reasons. All four countries have also made attempts to redress the inequities experienced by persons with disabilities, but as yet it is unclear the extent to which youth with disabilities have been impacted by these initiatives. This report examines what opportunities are available to youth with disabilities specifically, and how effective are they in facilitating social inclusion and creating sustainable employment.

Using case studies to illustrate successful targeted programmes, the paper also draws together information on key policies and practices that appear to be significant components in facilitating social inclusion and creating sustainable employment opportunities.
Document
Promoting job creation for young people in multinational enterprises and their supply chains: Sierra Leone
Publication Date: 30 Sep 2013
Source: ILO
This paper examines the employment impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in Sierra Leone. Its principal purpose is to explore the potential role that MNEs could play in creating more and better jobs. Through dialogue with key stakeholders, it seeks to understand the major constraints on the recruitment of local youth. Among the questions addressed are:

• What types of jobs are currently found in MNEs and their supply chains?
• What are the prospects of creating more and better jobs through MNEs? Where does the future potential lie in terms of job prospects?
• What are the future skills needs?
• Do MNEs have a role to play in narrowing the “skills gap”?

The research focused on three priority sectors of the government as identified in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers - agriculture, mining and banking - which are also the sectors with the highest concentration of MNEs. Within each of the selected economic sectors, the study analyses: current job profiles, skills and other gaps; future job prospects; an assessment of the extent to which MNEs are interested and/or willing to engage in broader youth employment challenges. It concludes with overall recommendations on the way forward.