By Alfred Fornah
Three institutions have worked out modalities to train young people on entrepreneurship. They include the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization, Ministry of Youth Affairs (MOYA) and the National Youth Commission (NAYCOM).
Recently IOM, ILO, MOYA and NAYCOM concluded pitching events and selected two hundred and forty (240) youths among more than 3,000 applicants with feasible business ideas from Bo, Kono, Kailahun, Western Area Urban and Rural districts respectively. These young people will be trained and coached/mentored in entrepreneurship for three months.
The training will be done within the framework of the project ‘Reducing the Risk of Irregular Migration through Promotion of Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone’ implemented by IOM and partners with support from the Government of Japan.
Youth unemployment in Sierra Leone has remained stubbornly high. This situation has compelled unemployed young people to venture into irregular migration. Some have embarked on self-employment in the informal sector but lack the necessary entrepreneurial skills.
The training will provide these youths with the requisite knowledge and skills to launch and effectively run their startups or existing businesses to create jobs and income for themselves and other young people. It will help build their capacity to overcome obstacles to growth through access to finance, proper business planning and entrepreneurship skills, among others.
“Some participants of this training, especially those with viable business plans upon completion of the program, will be provided with startup kits. They will be evaluated through a subsequent pitching event,” stated Akao Kunikazu, Project Manager Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) /Entrepreneurship, IOM Sierra Leone.
Late last year, IOM and ILO organized a training of trainers’ (TOT) workshop for trainers by ILO Master Trainers. Therefore, the valuable trainers who have gone through the TOT will deliver training of entrepreneurs (TOE) to the selected trainees/entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, the training for young entrepreneurs is expected to kick off soon after an online refresher training for trainers.
