Freetown- On 29th April, more than one hundred youth graduated from a series of tractor and grader operation and maintenance training programs implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Government of Sierra Leone. This latest training brings to 200 the number of youths trained in tractor/grader operation and basic maintenance through IOM intervention.

The training is part of IOM Sierra Leone’s larger youth empowerment project entitled “Reducing the Risk of Irregular Migration through Promotion of Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone” funded by the Government of Japan. The project aimed at equipping young Sierra Leoneans with employment and entrepreneurship skills as alternatives to irregular migration. Since the inception of the project in 2019, more than 2,000 young Sierra Leoneans including women have benefited from skills training and entrepreneurship support.

In addition to the tractor and grader training, the project trained almost 300 youth for jobs and business opportunities in fisheries. More than 200 were supported with entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and business start-up or expansion kits. IOM also provided hundreds more with training in other youth empowerment initiatives in various sectors including hospitality and waste management. At a graduation ceremony and commissioning of a new Technical and Vocational Center built by IOM in Sumbuya, Southern Sierra Leone, the Programme Manager at IOM Sierra Leone, Ludvik Girard said: “the certification ceremony demonstrates a significant step forward in our youth empowerment drive which is in line with the Government’s agenda on human capital development, and this is also a coherent and innovative approach to creating jobs for the youths of this country”. “Through programs such as this, we can make a difference in the lives of our young people by empowering them to become agents of hope and proactive members of their communities and country” he added.

Mohamed Orman Bangura, Sierra Leone's Minister of Youth Affairs said: “this youth empowerment project has not only provided demand-driven skills to young people but also with a well-equipped technical vocational Training center which we will continue to utilize to capacitate more young people in the country”. “The more skilled people we have, the better for a buoyant economy. When youths are empowered with the right skills and opportunities, they won’t risk their lives to embark on irregular migration, but rather they will stay and explore opportunities in their local communities” the Minister added.

Participants of the tractor and grader operation training program went through an intensive 3- month training and 1-month internship to gain practical knowledge to ensure a rich learning experience. “I am excited today to receive my certificate. Thanks to the training I have learned valuable technical skills about tractors which have positioned me well to tap into opportunities available especially in the Agricultural sector in Sierra Leone” said Aminata Janneh, one of the female graduates.

For more information, please contact Dr. James Bagonza at jbagonza@iom.int or Ludvik Girard at lgirard@iom.int

Media enquiries: Alfred Fornah, Communications and Public Relations Assistant, IOM Sierra Leone Email: afornah@iom.int