UNESCO’s BEAR III Project has launched Sierra Leone’s first Agriculture Sector Skills Council to boost TVET, workforce skills, and youth employment.
© UNESCO/John
The Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR III) Project, implemented by UNESCO in Sierra Leone, has officially launched the first Sector Skills Council in Agriculture (SSC4A). This ceremony was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, on September 16, 2025, at the Sierra Palms Resort in Freetown.
The BEAR III Project is a joint initiative between UNESCO and the Republic of Korea as a regional project that aims to strengthen the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system in Sierra Leone, focusing on making TVET relevant to the needs of the economy and the Labour market, enhancing the quality of TVET through capacity building, and Improving Perceptions of TVET.
The objectives of the established Sector Skills Council in Agriculture are to bridge the gap between the government, the training institutions, and the private sector on skills development. To support the government through the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education on quality skills development initiatives through the participation of the private sector in the Development of National Occupational Standards in the different areas of agriculture, such as upstream farming, agro-processing, post-harvest management, poultry, animal husbandry, vegetable production and storing, fisheries and aquaculture, etc. The overall objective is to enhance the people of Sierra Leone with the real benefits of Agriculture, which is generally recognised and accepted to be the backbone of the nation’s economy, with huge employment opportunities for young people and women. The Sector Skills Council will support the National Council for Technical Education NCTVE and the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education on:
- Development of Competency-Based Curriculum in Agriculture
- Standardise the delivery of training in all aspects of agriculture in Sierra Leone
- Conduct studies to determine skills gaps or shortages and set out strategies to close those gaps.
- Provide increased opportunities for the workforce
- Cultivate a sector skill development plan and maintain skills inventory in agriculture
- Develop skill competency standards and qualifications, the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the sector
- Help standardise the accreditation process with the Awarding Bodies
- Participate in accreditation and standardisation
- Plan and execute training of trainers, such as Quality Assurance Assessors
- Establish a process of coordinating and incorporating emerging trends in skills development
© UNESCO/John
The event also brought together the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Mr. Conrad Sarcky, the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security Mr. Mohamed Rado Swaray, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Theresa Tenneh Dick, the Honorary Consul of Korea who is the Chairman of the Sector Skills Council Mr. Maheseh Nandwani CEO of Pee Cee Holdings Ltd and various personalities from the public and private sector.
Source: UNESCO