Graduates secure jobs, promotions after nine-month ITC- supported digital skills programme.
KENEMA CITY, Sierra Leone, 8 August 2026 — Eighty Sierra Leonean youth have graduated with advanced digital literacy skills in Kenema following nine months of intensive training and workplace experience aimed at strengthening their employability and participation in Sierra Leone’s growing digital economy.
Youth in Action for Development (YAD), through its technical and vocational training arm, the Youth Resource Academy (YRA), certified the 80 graduates—35 females and 45 males—at a colourful graduation ceremony held on Saturday, 8 August 2026, in Kenema.
Titled Digital Literacy for Youth Economic Empowerment in Sierra Leone, the training formed part of the Ready Salone – Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) Fund project, implemented by YAD in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and in collaboration with the Government of Sierra Leone.
Designed particularly for youth transitioning from tertiary education into the labour market, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between academic education and the practical digital competencies increasingly demanded by employers.
Implemented from October 2025 to July 2026, the programme combined intensive theoretical and hands-on digital training with a six-week internship that placed participants in real working environments. The internship component enabled trainees to apply their newly acquired skills while gaining practical workplace experience.
The results are already being felt.
Several graduates told the gathering that they had been retained by their host institutions following their internships, while others said the skills acquired through the programme had improved their performance at their existing workplaces and contributed to promotions and increased responsibilities.
For YAD, these early successes demonstrate that targeted technical and digital skills development can provide a practical pathway for addressing youth unemployment and preparing young Sierra Leoneans for an increasingly technology-driven labour market.
Speaking at the ceremony, YAD Programme Director, Mr Othman Sheriff, said investment in middle-level manpower and practical technical skills remains critical to Sierra Leone’s socio-economic development.
Presenting the background to the project, Mr Sheriff reflected on YAD and YRA’s longstanding commitment to providing free and affordable technical and vocational education to young people. He said the partnership with ITC had helped advance the organisation’s vision of giving disadvantaged and transitioning young people access to relevant, market-driven skills.
“Your efforts over the last nine months have earned you two valuable certificates—one from ITC and another from YRA/YAD,” Mr Sheriff told the graduates.
He, however, reminded them that the true value of their certificates would be determined by how effectively they apply their knowledge to improve their livelihoods, contribute to their workplaces and create opportunities for others.
“The certificates are important, but what is even more important is what you do with the knowledge and skills you have acquired,” he said, urging the graduates to embrace innovation, professionalism and continuous learning.
The ceremony attracted representatives from key government institutions, academia and youth-serving organisations, including the Eastern Technical University (ETU), Kenema District Council, Kenema City Council, National Youth Commission (NAYCOM) and national technical and vocational education authorities.
Youth groups, families and friends of the graduates, as well as staff and management of YAD and YRA, also attended the ceremony.
The programme was chaired by Mrs Aminata Sannoh, a lecturer at YRA, while Mrs Isata Ngombulango, Project Manager, delivered the welcoming address and congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the demanding training and internship programme.
Among the distinguished guests were Mr Sanusi Fofanah, representing the Registrar of the Eastern Technical University (ETU); Mr Victor Mukeh Vandi of the Kenema District Council; Mr Umaru Koroma, representing the National Technical and Vocational Education Council; Mrs Marion Nyakoi, a lecturer and research fellow at the Eastern Technical University; and other institutional representatives.
In their goodwill messages, speakers praised YAD and its development partners for investing in young people and called for the continuation and expansion of similar skills-development programmes.
They noted that equipping young people with practical digital competencies complements the Government of Sierra Leone’s efforts to strengthen human capital, expand employment opportunities and enable young people to participate meaningfully in national development.
A particularly compelling moment came when graduates took turns to share testimonies about the impact the programme had already made on their lives.
Some explained that what began as a six-week internship had resulted in employment after their host organisations decided to retain them. Others said their improved digital competence had enhanced their productivity at work and contributed to professional advancement and promotion.
The testimonies provided an encouraging indication that the programme is delivering benefits beyond the classroom and certificates by translating skills development into tangible employment and career opportunities.
The graduation ended with the presentation of certificates to all 80 successful candidates amid celebrations by families, friends, officials and other invited guests.
For YAD and YRA, the graduation represents more than the completion of another training programme. It marks another step in their continuing drive to equip Sierra Leonean youth with practical, market-relevant skills capable of transforming education into employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic opportunity.
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