{"id":84518,"date":"2025-08-21T17:18:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T17:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort"},"modified":"2025-08-21T17:55:40","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T17:55:40","slug":"national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort","title":{"rendered":"National Youth Service Graduate Program Launches Second Cohort"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>The National Youth Service Graduate Program (NYSGP) has officially unveiled its second cohort, marking another step in the government\u2019s efforts to empower young Gambians with the skills, experience, and values needed to thrive in the modern workplace and contribute meaningfully to national development.<\/b><\/p>\n

The initiative, pioneered by the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS), seeks to bridge the gap between academic achievement and the realities of professional employment. Through structured internship placements, the program introduces graduates to the demands of both public and private institutions, while placing strong emphasis on work readiness, ethics, discipline, and leadership. By integrating these elements with academic knowledge, the program aspires to produce a new generation of professionals who are competent, adaptable, and committed to national progress.<\/p>\n

At the launch ceremony, Minister of Youth and Sports Bakary Badjie challenged participants to take full advantage of the opportunity presented by the program. He urged them to embody discipline, responsibility, and perseverance throughout their placements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis becomes a pathway for you as a bridge between graduation and employment, but in the period, we believe that you will be able to earn the required skills and knowledge, and experience that will be good enough to combine with your university degree to be able to get a job,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Echoing this call, NYSS Executive Director Mustapha Badjie underscored the pressing challenges of graduate unemployment, noting that while universities continue to produce large numbers of degree holders, the demand for jobs far exceeds supply. He explained that the NYSGP was specifically designed to address this imbalance by preparing young people to meet the needs of employers. \u201cWe need to work together and support these young people,\u201d he said, stressing that investment in human capital is critical to long-term development.<\/p>\n

The launch also attracted the support of development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP representative Samba Jallow emphasized the transformative potential of initiatives like the NYSGP. He noted that by channeling resources into youth empowerment, stakeholders can help unlock creativity, innovation, and productivity among young people. He described the program as a model of collaboration between government and development partners, one that directly benefits both graduates and the wider society.<\/p>\n

To inspire the new participants, an alumnus of the inaugural cohort shared his experiences. Ismaila Lowe, who credited the program with shaping his professional journey and equipping him with practical skills that enhanced his employability, stated, \u201cThis program is the easy way for us to get to where we want to. This is the best moment for us to grab because it is an opportunity and a privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Youth Service Scheme, established in 1996 by an Act of Parliament, has long been a cornerstone of The Gambia\u2019s youth empowerment strategy. Over the years, it has focused on cultivating leadership, promoting livelihood skills, and nurturing civic responsibility among young people. The NYSGP builds on this legacy by offering a structured platform where graduates can transition from academic life to professional careers, while also fostering a spirit of service to the nation.<\/p>\n

With the launch of its second cohort, the program continues to grow in scope and impact, reaffirming its role as a vital tool in addressing youth unemployment and preparing the country\u2019s young professionals to play a central role in The Gambia\u2019s socio-economic development.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Youth Service Graduate Program (NYSGP) has officially unveiled its second cohort, marking another step in the government\u2019s efforts to empower young Gambians with the skills, experience, and values needed to thrive in the modern workplace and contribute meaningfully to national development. The initiative, pioneered by the National Youth Service Scheme […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":84517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-84518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nNational Youth Service Graduate Program Launches Second Cohort - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The National Youth Service Graduate Program (NYSGP) has officially unveiled its second cohort, marking another step i ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"National Youth Service Graduate Program Launches Second Cohort\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The National Youth Service Graduate Program (NYSGP) has officially unveiled its second cohort, marking another step i ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-21T17:18:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-21T17:55:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/sm_1755786312.528333.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"National Youth Service Graduate Program Launches Second Cohort\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-21T17:18:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-21T17:55:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort\"},\"wordCount\":570,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/sm_1755786312.528333.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-youth-service-graduate-program-launches-second-cohort\",\"name\":\"National Youth Service Graduate Program Launches Second Cohort - 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