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SIERRA LEONE

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Draft policy caters for youth empowerment to promote economic growth

Freetown, May 23 - THE Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Education Science and Technology and the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), BREDA and NCTVA will today complete a week long workshop to draft a national policy that caters for youth empowerment and economic growth at the NCTVA Hall Tower Hill in Freetown.

The drafting of the national policy brought together resources persons from all sectors on the political, academic, commercial, human resource in the world of Technical Vocational Education. The University, Polytechnics, Teachers Training Colleges, Chamber of Commerce, Tech-Voc Institutions, national and International NGO's, Council of Heads of Tech-Voc Institutions and a host of others are to lead us in the discussion to produce this document.

Although governments carry the primary responsibility for technical and vocational education, in a modern market economy technical and vocational education policy design and delivery should be achieved through a new partnership between government, employers, professional associations, industry, employees and their representatives. The local community and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can also create a coherent legislative framework to enable the launching of a national strategy for change. Within this strategy the government, apart from actually providingtechnical and vocational education, can also provide leadership and vision, facilitate, coordinate, establish quality assurance and ensure that technical and vocational education is for all by identifying and addressing community service obligations.

Several sessions were presented by Godwin Samba of the Ministry of education youth and sports on issues relating to the draft policy institutional frame work and situation analysis while A. Koroma and Ahmed Sheku of the Milton Margai College of Education on youth employment and poverty reduction chaired by Mrs. Grace A Fullah of YWCA.

The Director for Technical Education at the Education Ministry presented the Road Map to Reforms in Technical and vocational education which he said is best served by a diversity of public and private providers. The appropriate mix can be found in many ways, with the responsibility of governments being to facilitate choice while ensuring quality.

He also said that it is desirable that governments streamline their own public institutional framework to the maximum extent possible to coordinate the national technical and vocational education effort, create an effective partnership with the private sector, and promote technical and vocational education for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Ing. M A Jalloh of NCTVA spoke about the concept of facilitators, providers and regulator, training authority concept, Qualification and human resource development council which was chaired by Prof. JD Thompson.

A group discussion on the chapterization and approach to the policy document and development was chaired by Dr. Sandy Bockarie Eastern Polytechnic in Kenema who made meaningful contributions.

Drafting of bills establishing new institutions and agencies such as the Skills Development Agency or strengthening existing ones such as NCTVA climaxed the presentation yesterday of group works while the formation of an implementation plan and a monitoring committee is expected.



[WAY/Awoko]