Promoting job creation for young people in multinational enterprises and their supply chains: Sierra Leone
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.