Head of European Union Delegation Pledges Commitment To NYS Scheme (MARCH 2019)

Ambassador Tom Vens, head of European Union delegation to Sierra Leone has commended President Julius Maada Bio’s commitment on improving youth productivity and Participation in national development. Ambassador Vens was speaking during an interactive meeting with cross section of the National Youth Service Directors at his Leicester Peak office, west end of Freetown. “I am impressed with the current NYS strategic plan and let me on behalf of the EU delegation in the country pledge our commitment and cooperation to making sure that the NYS achieves it desired aims and objectives,” said Ambassador Tom Vens. He said they are supporting the Government of Sierra Leone’s Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) through the German Non-Governmental Organization, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), adding that they are also working with the National Youth Commission, the Ministry of Education and other line Ministries. Revealing the importance of the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) program, he said TVET provides knowledge and skills for employment. TVET uses formal, non-formal and informal learning. TVET is recognised to be a crucial vehicle for social equity, inclusion and sustainable development and therefore, “I don’t think whether young people are against the TVET program.” He went further to state that, “together with the World Bank group in Sierra Leone, we are facilitating credits for young entrepreneurs.” In demonstrating commitment to the NYS, Ambassador Vens said, “We want you to succeed and we are keen to extract your positive program to feed it into our own.” The Executive Director of the National Youth Service, Onanah Jalloh, explained that the NYS scheme was established by the National Youth Service Act of 2016, with mandate to raise a class of patriotic, morally, physically and psychologically competent Sierra Leonean graduate youths from Universities and Colleges, to undertake one year compulsory national service in communities and institutions. During the one year of national service, he said, graduate corps will live among and within the host communities, facilitating unity and integration as well as championing community development by executing projects jointly with the people of the host communities. He disclosed that 200 young graduates have been deployed across the country for a dedicated one year national service. According to the NYS Executive Director, the current NYS structure cannot contend with the growing youth unemployment inherited by the New Direction administration. He therefore observed that there is urgent need to review the current NYS Act as proclaimed by President Julius Maada Bio. He said they have decided to use the Kenya model which will adequately address the growing youth unemployment in the country. He assured that the Kenya model will be the surest way to achieving the middle level manpower as enshrined in the country’s national medium term development plan, 2019 to 2023. On his part, the head of Cooperation for the EU delegation, Mats Lil Jefelt, admonished the NYS delegation to prepare the skills that will fit in the private sector demand/s. He encouraged that NYS should work with the private sector in rolling out their ambitious plans.