Africa-Press – Liberia. In an effort to make Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) a wholesome functioning program in Liberia, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) has dispatched additional 12 teachers to the South-central African Republic of Zambia to acquire advanced studies.
The initiative according to the Ministry is intended to build the capacities of TVET instructors who will in turn impact and translate the knowledge gained to the youthful population of the country.
Making remarks during the official departure ceremony held at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Paynesville, Minister D. Zeogar Wilson stated that the 12 TVET teachers will reside in Zambia for the period of 24 months where 11 of the 12 will be studying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the Zambia Institute of Communication and Technology while one of the 12 will enroll in the field of Heavy Duty Mechanics.
He added that the initiative is part of the Youth Rising Program financed by the European Union (EU). The Minister expressed appreciation to the taxpayers in Europe for their contribution to the growth and development of the youthful population of Liberia as we strive to improve our TVET sector.
“This is a clear manifestation of the dreams and aspirations of President George Manneh Weah to make sure that we have a vibrant TVET sector. That is why we have continued to send TVET teachers out of the country to build their capacities, come back and impact knowledge into the young people,” said the Youth and Sports Minister.
The MYS official expressed delight that beneficiaries of the Youth Rising project come from both the Ministry of Education and that of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, lauding the efforts of all actors for the success of the project.
He cautioned the teachers to do their best on grounds that they were selected among hundreds of teachers in the sector with the aim of bringing pride to their family and the nation at large.
“I want to challenge you all to be steadfast and be focused. Go there and make us Proud and of course make yourself and your family proud. We don’t want you to go and compel us to bring you back because you cannot cope with the lesson. It will not be a good thing for yourself and our country. Go and do your best. I know each of you have the capacity and capability to complete the four months and come back here to help build the minds of our young people” Minister Wilson admonished the TVET teachers.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Minister for Technical and Vocational Education at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Millias Z.Sheriff and also Chairman of the Project Steering Committee on the Youth Rising narrated that the Youth Rising project already has 11 persons studying advanced welding in the Southern African Institute of Welding and Fabrication in South Africa and additional five persons in Zambia studying air conditioning.
He furthered that the 3rd batch will be followed by 18 Liberians to South Africa to study carpentry on January 10 and on January 11, additional 13 persons will be sent out to Zambia and Kenyan, specifying that those in Kenyan will be pursuing their masters in Agriculture.
Minister Sheriff emphasized that the Youth Rising project under the sponsorship of the EU is currently in seven counties and ten schools, adding that those ten schools’ infrastructure is well developed and that the human resource development of those schools are on course.
He cited that under the project, 120 TVET instructors are to be sent to South Africa, Kenya and Zambia to study Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Masonry, Carpentry, Information Communication and Technology amongst others.
In a related development, the MYS official disclosed that the Government has US$7.3 million worth of TVET equipment at the Booker Washington Institute (BWI) campus in Kakata, Margibi county and additional three containers at the Freeport of Monrovia which according to him will subsequently be installed in the seven counties where the Youth Rising Project is ongoing.
He added that the Project has also attracted additional funding from the EU in the amount of US$25 million that will be used to extend the project to the rest of the counties across Liberia.
“So from seven counties, we will be having an additional eight counties. So we will have all of the 15 counties having at least a wholesome functioning TVET in an institution or institutions to be identified,” the Liberia TVET official emphasized.
He pointed out that the recent trip made by the actors of the TVET sector was intended to see how best the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Education can effectuate the president’s vision of ensuring that TVET become a wholesome functioning sector in Liberia thereby having every county benefit.
Minister Sheriff called on the teachers to adhere to ethical standards that will make their educational sojourn a smooth one, noting that the Ministry will not hesitate to recall anyone found in acts that undermine the success of the project.
For his part, the Project Manager of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Anthony Nimley extolled the Government of Liberia for giving his institution the opportunity to work with the Ministries of Education and Youth and Sports as it relates to supporting Technical and Vocational Education in Liberia.
He also extended appreciation to the EU and the Republic of Sweden for providing support to Liberia through the TVET project which according to him is a milestone achievement in terms of building the human capacity in the TVET sector.
The UNIDO Project Manager disclosed that the 3rd batch will be followed by the Carpentry group on the 10th of January who will be leaving for Cape Town, South Africa to the Furniture Technology Institution (FUNTEC) while on the 11th of January, a group comprising of Auto Mechanics, Electricians and Machining will be going to a Mining Institute in Zambia.
He emphasized that all of the initiatives are in an effort to support TVET from three approaches, including the infrastructure, the modernization of workshops in the sector and also the building of the human capacity which according to him is the most needed.
Nimley called on the teachers to see themselves as representatives of the country, lamenting that Liberia has had some experiences and that the country cannot continue to build on those bad experiences.
“Let’s adapt to the conditions that we meet there. There is not a problem to which we cannot find solutions, but I think the way we approach it is what causes some problems. So we look forward to very successful studies over the period as we remain open to the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Youths and Sports and the Ministry of Education as we continue to work collaboratively in terms of building the TVET subsector of our educational system,” the UNIDO official said.
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