Monrovia -In a significant boost for youth empowerment, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Jeror Cole Banggalu, has announced an allocation of $1 million for the reintroduction of the National Youth Service Program.  

During the launch of the 2025 National Cadet Program supported by UNDP at the weekend, Minister Bangalu emphasized the government’s commitment to the Cadet Program, stating, “We are serious about this initiative and will ensure its successful implementation alongside UNDP Liberia.”

He highlighted the success of past cadets, many of whom have secured permanent roles in government following their internships. The Youth and Sports Minister spoke of efforts to expand the program and expressed gratitude to UNDP for the partnership. “The government is dedicated to the welfare of young people; therefore, it is our responsibility to improve the lives of our citizens, especially our youth,” Minister Bangalu noted.

The Deputy Resident Representative for programme at UNDP Liberia, Louis Kuukpen, lauded the government’s ongoing efforts in youth development, asserting that investing in youth is an investment in Liberia’s future.

“At UNDP, we strongly believe that investing in youth is investing in the future. Young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow—they are the changemakers of today. Yet across Africa, and here in Liberia, youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge. Programs like the NCP are essential to breaking that cycle by equipping young people with practical skills, professional exposure, and confidence to pursue dignified livelihoods,” Kuuken stressed.

He said the cadet program is not a temporary placement but a launchpad for careers, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Kuukpen urged cadets who will be recruited this year to take full advantage of the opportunity to learn, grow, contribute, and dream boldly.

Speaking on behalf of the Commerce Minister, Kolubah Yekeh emphasized the importance of the program, calling for increased support from other partners for the next 5 years.

The National Youth Cadet Program is an initiative that aims to provide short-term employment and internship opportunities across government ministries, agencies, and the private sector, with a focus on enhancing job readiness and offering practical experiences.

The 2025 edition of the program will select 150 high-achieving graduates from universities and vocational institutions in several counties, including Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Nimba, Lofa, and Grand Cape Mount.

Beneficiaries will receive a monthly stipend of $200 for the three-month internships, helping them gain essential workplace skills while covering living expenses.

The Cadet Program has seen significant growth since its inception, expanding from 75 participants in its first year to 150 this year, focusing more on young women and people with disabilities to promote inclusive development.

It is part of the UNDP’s broader Livelihood and Employment Creation Project, backed by a $7.8 million investment, designed to combat poverty and inequality while enhancing sustainable income-generating activities across Liberia. 

The government aims to include 300 youths this year, reaching all 15 sub-political divisions of the country, despite challenges related to reduced donor funding. The 5-year $7.8m project was launched on May 13, 2021.

To date, 322 youths have benefited from the Cadet Program, with a 51% female participation rate and a notable retention of 57.1% among employed female cadets.

PAYNESVILLE- The Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ministry of Education, and its partners have began construction of a hospitality center under the Business Domestic Occupational Training Center (BDOTC). The project is believed to be valued at over six hundred and fifty thousand United States dollars (650000).

By Francis G. Boayue

The construction is being supported under the EU-funded program in collaboration with the Swedish government to strengthen reintegration through vocational education and equip teachers to ensure real-time learning.

According to the MYS, the initiative, when completed, will have a modern kitchen, conference hall, classrooms, stores, and offices, among others.

The ground-breaking ceremony was also held in partnership with the European Union, Sweden, and other partners, respectively.

Speaking at the ceremony, Assistant Minister for TVET at the MYS, Millias Z. Sheriff, disclosed that the project is being implemented by the European Institute for Cooperation and Development (IECD), working together to ensure that the TVET sector of Liberia remains second to none.

Minister Sheriff highlighted three thematic areas of intervention under the ministry, including the Tumutu Agriculture Vocational Training Institute in Bong County, whose renovation work is around 80% complete; he said, is under the youth rising project.

He disclosed that the project will last ten months from the groundbreaking ceremony.

Earlier in his remarks, UNIDO Project Manager Rogers Ndege told his counterpart that under the project they will be covering fiction technology, ICT, cosmetology, and event planning and management.

In the area of sustainability, the UNIDO project manager stressed that the center should have the capacity to generate a bit of income to keep the institution going.

“We believe that this facility, apart from being a training center, should be able to have an income generation unit, but having said that, it also means that production needs to take hold sustainably and we need financial autonomy,” Ndege declared.

For his part, Gabriel Huscult, Country Director, of the European Institute for Corporation and Development (EICD), noted that his organization’s ICT component is automatically here to assist Liberia and collaborate with ministries and agencies in implementing the TVET national strategy serving the new generation as part of its five-year program that started in 2021 and runs till 2025.

“EICD works in 60 countries around the world with hundreds of local partners and the intent of the building is to have many have access to employment through TVET and ICTs, and hospitality expertise is employed today in six countries, including Madagascar, Vienna, Thailand, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Liberia,” he added.