Monrovia — Several Liberians continue to establish vocational training centers across various communities in Monrovia, aiming to equip young people with practical skills in tailoring, catering, interior decoration, and cosmetology.
By Macaulay Sombai, [email protected]
Among these institutions is the Bendu Vocational Training Center (BVTC), located in the St. Francis Jacob Town community, Painesville City, Montserrado County.
The Chief Executive Officer of BVTC, Madam Bendu Kamara, disclosed that the institution was officially established on March 31, 2025. According to her, the primary objective of the school is to empower both males and females who desire to acquire vocational skills in tailoring, interior decoration, catering, ice-cream making, and cosmetology.
She explained that each of the four core training programs runs for a period of six months. Since its establishment, the institution has successfully conducted one graduation ceremony, during which 18 students completed training in three of the four departments currently offered by the center.
Madam Kamara revealed that the catering department is no longer accepting new students for the ongoing six-month training cycle, as it has already reached its required enrollment capacity. However, she assured prospective applicants that opportunities will be available in the next training session.
“As I earlier stated, we are grateful to God for the progress of our school. We started this vocational program with only three students, but, by God’s grace, our first graduation consisted of 18 students,” Madam Kamara said.
“We still need students in the areas of tailoring, interior decoration, and cosmetology. However, we are not accepting students in the catering department for the current six-month training program because that department has reached its enrollment target during our registration process. We continue to encourage interested individuals to enroll in tailoring, interior decoration, ice-cream making, and cosmetology.”
She described the response from female residents of the St. Francis Jacob Town community as highly encouraging. According to her, women have shown strong interest and participation in all departments of the institution.
Madam Kamara, however, called on women from other communities to take advantage of the training opportunities being offered. She also urged men with a passion for vocational education to emulate the example set by their female counterparts, who currently dominate the various training programs and continue to excel in acquiring valuable skills.
