The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Accelerating digital growth, youth empowerment in Sierra Leone
UNOPS is working with the government of Sierra Leone to support youth digital skills development needed for sustainable economic development, with funding from the government of Japan.
Sierra Leone’s youth unemployment rate is over 60 per cent. Many schools often lack the infrastructure to equip young people with the digital skills required for the future of work – leading to a mismatch between youth capabilities and the demands of a rapidly evolving global digital economy.
With funding from the government of Japan, UNOPS is supporting Sierra Leone's Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs to bridge this persistent skills gap. The initiative will address high youth unemployment by fostering digitally innovative skills for youth, including women and girls.
"By integrating modern ICT infrastructure into our schools, we are ensuring that our students are not just learners, but future-ready innovators who can compete in the global digital economy," said Conrad Sackey, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.
As part of the project, UNOPS will procure and install equipment needed to create a modern ICT lab in five regional schools, establish a Learning Management System and an e-learning platform to provide students with accessible resources for national exams, and deliver comprehensive training modules in digital transformation and entrepreneurship for more than 600 youths.
"UNOPS is dedicated to delivering infrastructure and procurement solutions that make a difference," says Natalia Garcia Romero, UNOPS Officer in Charge in Sierra Leone. "By providing the tools and training necessary for entrepreneurship in sectors like agriculture and health, we are helping youth become drivers of economic growth rather than victims of exclusion."
The project will help increase access to the digital skills needed for employment and provide young entrepreneurs with the necessary support and resources to develop and launch businesses in critical sectors such as agriculture, health, mining and education.
"We believe that empowering the younger generation with digital tools is essential for sustainable economic development and national stability," said H.E. Hiroshi Yoshimoto, Ambassador of Japan to Ghana and Sierra Leone.
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