Application of Climate Change Adaptation Framework in Sierra Leone and Its Relevance to Enhancing Public-Private Partnership Policies and Practice in TVET Development

Abstract

The chapter focuses on the implementation of the CCA Framework for youth development. The chapter is divided into three sections. Section 1 discusses the methodological processes involved in implementing the four stages of the framework, including the challenges and successes faced by the consortium in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The second section of the chapter is divided into two subsections: (a) the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework and (b) the YEEP Pilot Model Framework. The PPP framework captures a range of systems to share skills development responsibility among TVET stakeholders and employers. The YEEP pilot model framework is a conceptual document highlighting the processes, structures and mechanisms required by the stakeholders to implement youth development programmes in developing countries. Together, the frameworks link TVET training and employers, and engage the private sector in skills development.

Appendices

Appendices

Appendix 1: Memorandum of Understanding

The Undersigned

• (Implementing agency) (include the names of the members of Consortium) (hereinafter (Implementing agency) is an international consultancy firm whose administrative offices are at Address and organised and existing under the laws of country, herein legally represented by its Directors. State brief information about the names of the consortium.

• [Name] (hereinafter Development Partner Institution”), a [legal entity] organised and existing under Sierra Leonean law and with its principal place of operations located at address, herein legally represented by its duly authorised official.

• (Name of the agency of the Government of Sierra Leone) (hereinafter “Contracting Authority”), a [legal entity – Government of Sierra Leone] organised and existing under Sierra Leonean law and with its principal place of operations located at address, herein legally represented by its duly authorised official.

• Each individually referred to as “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”;

Recitels

• Whereas (Implementing agency) has been awarded a contract by the (Name of the agency of the Government of Sierra Leone) to support in the implementation of the Sierra Leone Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Project (Sierra Leone YEEP) to provide support to the (Name of the agency of the Government of Sierra Leone) to implement this project, starting 1 of July 2018 (“Project”).

• Whereas (Name of the agency of the Government of Sierra Leone) has contracted (Implementing agency) to support (Name of the agency of the Government of Sierra Leone) to implement the Sierra Leone Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Project (Sierra Leone YEEP).

• Whereas name of TVET Institute (herein after referred as a training provider) has been identified (Implementing agency) and approved by (Name of the agency of the Government of Sierra Leone) to provide implementation support to execute Component 3 of the Project (Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme).

• Whereas the Project aims to reinforce the employability of Sierra Leone Youth as well as enhancing their entrepreneurship skills through the development of a framework which integrates education and vocational institutions with job market demand and supply. It is envisaged that this approach will result in strengthening the occupational levels in the youth population segments of the country which will eventually trigger sustained economic development in the growth sectors. The project has three main components as depicted in below figure:

• Whereas the component is one of the three main activity lines of the project. Whereby Component 1 aims at building capacity for training youth in three specific priority skills (as will be determined in consultation with TVET coalition¹ partners) needed by private sector employers and other operators in growing sectors of the economy and linking them to the private sector for employment. (the Pilot).

• Whereas the Project is led by a project team from the (Implementing agency) in close cooperation with (Name of the agency of the Government of Sierra Leone). (“Project Team”).

• Whereas the Project team seeks to partner with existing Business Support Centre (BSCs) for the Concept Development with the perspective of implementing the Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme with these partners (include collaborating training institutes).

• Whereas (Implementing agency) and [Name TVET Institute] have been discussing the Project and share their vision on the Concept.

• Whereas [Name TVET institute] has proven to fit the profile of a Business Support Centre with focus on support youth entrepreneurs to improve their business.

• Now, therefore, the Parties wish to further explore areas of collaboration in accordance with the terms of this Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) on this [date] (the “Effective Date”).

Purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding

To record our mutual understanding of cooperation in the delivery of services.

Principles Guiding the Development Partnership

The objectives of the component are:

• Conducting a Training of Trainers for 20 TVET instructors for the priority skills and trades and entrepreneurship training, including developing a TVET instructor apprenticeship/internship programme in cooperation with National Council for Technical Vocations and other Academic Awards (NCTVA).

• Training a minimum of 100 youths in supervisory skills and such youth should have work experience and have potential to excel.

• Training 150 youth in the selected priority skills. This will include going through a graduate internship programme which will be conducted in cooperation with UNDP and the National Youth Commission and will also include linking the trained youth with private sector employers for employment.

• Conduct capacity building of selected TVET institutions in management and governance.

The expected results are:

• Reviewed and updated course content and training methodologies for the three priority skills and trades in selected TVET institutions.

• Developed entrepreneurship curriculum for the selected TVETs.

• Training of Trainers for 20 TVET instructors for the priority skills and trades and entrepreneurship training.

• Training of a minimum of 100 youths in supervisory skills.

• Training of 150 youth in the selected priority skills; and.

• Capacity building of selected TVET institutions in management and governance.

Scope

• To design, develop and implement three priority sector skills training for youths to and from both parties consistent with this MOU.

• To identify and deliver appropriate entrepreneurship and skills training, monitoring and mentoring for entrepreneurs and enterprises.

• Organising of training programmes in various skills trades taking into account the need of labour market in identified sectors.

• Where possible to standardise the delivery of services to youths and entrepreneurs.

• The institution shall play a key role in skills development in three key trades, skills up-gradation, innovation and competitiveness of youths applicable of an industry. Both parties believe that close co-operation between the two would be of major benefit to the youth learners to enhance their skills and knowledge.

• Curriculum Design: The partner institution will give valuable inputs in teaching/training methodology and suitably customise the curriculum so that the students fit into the industrial scenario meaningfully.

• Skill Development Programmes: The partner institution is to train the students on the emerging skills identified in order to bridge the skill gap and make them industry ready.

• Teacher Development: The partner institution is to train the teachers for imparting training as per the industrial requirement considering the NCTVA in concerned sector, if available.

• Placement of Trained Students: The partner institution will actively engage to help the delivery of the training and placement of students into internships/jobs; and will facilitate placements for at least ……% of the students.

Intellectual Property Rights

Each Party will retain title of all intellectual property rights it already holds under applicable laws, and nothing herein will be deemed to be a transfer thereof or a licence thereupon.

The intellectual property rights regarding tools, formats, knowhow or any other developed documents, generated by one of the Parties specifically for the execution of this partnership, remains with that particular Party, unless specifically agreed otherwise.

De Property Rights of the framework will be owned by all parties.

Financial Arrangement

Payment milestone	Timeline	% of contract value to be paid out on achievement	Contract value in USD
Upon submission and approval of selected list of trainers for the training, CVs of trainers, training plan	June 2019	10%
Upon approval of report on completion of the training, detailed work plan and schedule recruitment, assessment and training of participants, curriculum readiness, training methodology, CBT training materials development plan, etc.	July 2019	10%
Upon approval of report on completion of selection of youths for priority skills training and training readiness plan (workshop, tools and equipment, trainers, materials, etc.)	July 2019	45%
Upon approval of report on completion of training of 150 youth and placement of trained youths.	August 2019	20%
Upon approval of report on submission of training evaluation report	August 2019	15%
Total		100%	US$ 10000.00

Confidentiality

Each Party (the “Receiving Party”) agrees that, unless otherwise stated, any information or materials provided by the other Party (the “Disclosing Party”) are confidential and proprietary to the Disclosing Party and will be kept confidential by the Receiving Party. Such information shall not be used by the Receiving Party for any reason beyond the purpose of this MoU. The Receiving Party will have no duty of confidentiality with respect to information that (i) was rightfully known to the Receiving Party previously, without a duty of confidentiality; (ii) is, or subsequently becomes, legally and publicly available without breach of this Agreement; (iii) is rightfully obtained by the Receiving Party from a third party without a duty of confidentiality; or (iv) is disclosed by the Receiving Party under a valid order created by a court or government agency, provided that the Receiving Party provides the Disclosing Party with prior written notice of such obligation and the opportunity to oppose such disclosure.

The terms and conditions of this MOU shall also be considered confidential and proprietary information that shall not be disclosed by either Party unless mutually agreed.

Media and Communication

Parties will align their communication and publicity strategy with reference to the MoU. Media statements, promotional material and other publicity referring to the other Party and/or the MoU may only be published after obtaining written consent of the other Party.

Duration and Termination

This MoU is entered into force from the effective date to May 2019, unless terminated in writing with a notice period of thirty (30) calendar days. This term aligns with the timeline for implementation of component 1 (30 September 2019) and can be extended by signed addendum should the timeline be delayed.

Any Party may terminate this MoU immediately upon notice to the other Parties if one or both of the other Parties commit an act that in any way denigrates the reputation of the terminating Party or dilutes the value of the terminating Party’s brand, trademarks or logos as determined in the terminating Party’s sole discretion.

Changes or additions to this MOU, including the appendices, shall be valid only if agreed upon in writing by the Parties.

Reference Law

Any matter relating to the interpretation or application of the MOU which is not covered by its terms shall be resolved by reference to the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts (2004).

Language

This MoU is drawn up in the English language. If the MoU is translated into another language, the English language text shall in any event prevail.

Arbitration

Any and all disputes arising from or in connection with this MOU, or further contracts resulting there from, shall be finally settled in accordance with the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce by one or more arbitrators appointed in accordance with the said rules. The place of arbitration shall be City. The arbitral procedure shall be conducted in the English language.

Invalidity

If at any time a provision of this MOU is or becomes illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any respect under the law of any jurisdiction that shall not affect or impair:

The legality, validity or enforceability in that jurisdiction of any other provision of this MOU; or:

The legality, validity or enforceability under the law of any jurisdiction of that of any other provision of this MOU, and.

The Parties shall replace the non-binding provision with another provision that is binding, in such a way that the new provision differs as little as possible from the non-binding provision, taking into account the object, the intent and the purpose of this MOU.

Entire Agreement

This MOU contains the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the matters contemplated by this MOU and any such document and supersedes any previous agreements between the parties in relation to such matters. This MOU can be amended, restated or supplemented only by an instrument in writing signed by all Parties.

Each of the Parties confirms that in entering into this MOU, it has not relied on any statement, representation, warranty, agreement or undertaking of any person (whether a party to this MOU or not) other than those expressly set out in this MOU and that it will not have any claim, right or remedy arising out of any such statement, representation, warranty, agreement or undertaking.

Miscellaneous

Nothing in this Memorandum of Understanding will create a relationship of partnership, agency or joint venture between the Parties. Neither Party is authorised to act or make any statement, representation or warranty on behalf of the other Party.

Each Party will comply with all laws, regulations, rules and ordinances applicable to it in connection with the transactions governed by this MoU. The provisions of this Memorandum of Understanding that, by their nature, are intended to survive any expiration or termination of this MoU will survive such expiration or termination. A notice under this MOU shall only be effective if it is made by registered letter.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, all correspondence related to this MOU shall be worded in English and shall be addressed to the above-mentioned representatives. Each of the parties is obliged to notify the other Parties of a change of address at any time. Each party chooses as its address for all purposes under this MOU, or for serving of any court process or documents, giving any notice, or making any other complication of whatever nature and for any purpose as follows:

(Names of Implementing organisation)

address

• Tel:

• [name]

• [Address].

The following persons shall be responsible for liaising over the implementation of this MOU:

• A representative of (Implementing organisation).

• Representatives of TVET Institute: [name], [function].

• A representative of (Government Institution).

In witness whereof, each of the Parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered by a duly authorised officer as of the date first above written.

(Implementing organisation)
Name:
Function:
__________________________
Date:
(name of the agency of the government of Sierra Leone)
Name:
Function:
______________________________
Date:
(name of partner institution)
Name:
Function:
_____________________________
Date:

Appendix 2: Summary of the PPP Framework

Introduction

Background

Getting youth into productive employment is an urgent policy issue for countries around the world. A successful transition to the labour force is essential for young people to be assured of success in life; however, many young people encounter significant obstacles in this transition. Governments in low- and middle-income countries, such as Sierra Leone, are actively engaged in policies to help youth attain the skills they need to acquire decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods (ILO, 2010). The range of policy options to achieve the above is wide and includes skills training, employment intermediation services to place workers with firms, self-employment promotion and provision of subsidies to firms to hire youth, among others.

Increasingly, governments are recognising that the private sector and employers have a vital role to play in developing and implementing youth employment and sustainable livelihood programmes which lead to the employment of youth. Partnerships with the private sector would inject financial and technical resources beyond those that governments can mobilise to finance such programmes. The private sector can provide services to bring curriculum and training in line to what is required within the labour market. It is important to note that the active engagement of employers in the development and provision of skills in the education system (formal and informal) would enable alignment with the requirements in the labour market. In essence, the technical vocational education and training (TVET) systems in the least developing countries such as Sierra Leone were deemed ineffective and irrelevant to the development needs of the market. To some extent, this is due to the absence of a deliberate policy that enables the private sector to participate in the design and development of TVET curricula and the delivery of training content and standards.

The impact of climate change and other development calamities is excluded from the design and development of TVET and future occupations/livelihood jobs in most developing countries in Africa (ILO, 2010). Therefore, this needs to be an essential consideration when developing TVET and other forms of youth skills training and apprenticeship programmes in the future (UNDP, 2015). PPP in the TVET sector can take several forms when piloting new initiatives, training partnership, sectoral partnership and system-wide partnership. Therefore, the purpose of the PPP framework for skills development is to explore the policy, strategies and process and the benefits to stakeholders for the government of Sierra Leone to work in partnership with the private sector in the development and delivery of the TVET sector.

Definitions and Concepts

TVET is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the world of work. In the past, various terms were used to describe elements of the field that is now conceived as comprising TVET. One definition is that TVET is any education, training and learning activity leading to the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to employment or self-employment (Poschen, 2015; UNDP, 2015). TVET serves here as an overarching term to describe all kinds of formal, non-formal and informal training and learning provided by or in all different institutions, providers and learning locations.

Private Sector

Over the past decades, the private sector has been involved in multiple ways to promote youth employment and skills, including but not limited to:

• Partnering in initiatives to train youth by providing funding, developing course content, contributing to teaching and providing on-the-job experience to trainees.

• Funding entrepreneurship promotion programmes and supplying credit, grants and technical assistance to young entrepreneurs.

• Engaging in high-level planning for training and employment strategies with government and other stakeholders.

• Supplying training services under competitive contracting with the public sector or with employers.

• Developing inclusive value chains in agriculture and other sectors involving young entrepreneurs.

The involvement of the private sector in youth skills development and employment is a complex issue, not just because the modalities of this involvement are diverse but because the nature of the firms and their motivations vary significantly. Therefore, comprehensive analysis is vital to design an appropriate framework relevant to the national development context.

Private Provision

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) has been employed extensively for the development of infrastructure projects around the world due to its effectiveness in delivering value-for-money (VFM) (Chan et al., 2010). The education and training markets are characterised by a diversity of providers across different subsectors, ranging from for-profit commercial enterprises, religious entities and non-profits run by nongovernment organisations (civil society); publicly funded establishments such as government-aided schools that are operated by private boards; and community-owned operations. UNESCO regards as “private” any educational institute that is controlled and managed by an NGO, i.e., including religious group, association, enterprise or whose governing body consists mainly of members not selected by a public agency (ILO, 2010).

Private Sector Partnership (PPP)

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is generally defined as a system in which a government service or private business venture is funded and operated through a partnership to deliver a project or service traditionally provided by the public sector. PPP is a business model which aims at financing, designing, implementing and operating TVET through innovative methods (Kruss et al., 2017).

PPP in TVET

Public-Private Partnerships have been defined in a wide range of ways in the policy and academic literature. PPPs are defined as an agreement between the government and one or more private partners, which may include the provision of finance and technical assistance to run the entity. This may concern the private partners delivering the service in such a manner that the service delivery objectives of the government are aligned with the profit objectives of the private partners (OECD, 2008 in Kruss et al., 2017). PPPs are also perceived as a strategy to achieve a social agenda, such as solving a social problem in a community. It is a strategy that aims at bringing the voices that have been on the periphery into the national development planning process while achieving efficiency in planning, management and monitoring.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in TVET have been receiving widespread attention over the past decade as a system to enhance the future sustainability of the TVET sector. The competing demands on the state’s limited resource compounded by an increasing demand upon the provision of educational services are tremendous pressures on the government to explore innovative opportunities to address the gap in the financial resources to sustain the education provision. The private sector engagement in the TVET provides an excellent opportunity for the private sector to share a more significant role in the financing the provision of education (Kruss et al., 2017).

Overview of TVET in Sierra Leone

• TVET in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is categorised as a small, low-income and fragile country located in West Africa with a population of 7.4 million and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of US$496 (2016). Sierra Leone’s population is young and growing rapidly, and a majority live below the poverty line. Between 2004 and 2015, the population grew an average of 3.3% per annum. Almost one-half (45.8%) of the population is under the age of 15. In 2014, the labour force participation rate was 65%, with only 2.8% unemployment (World Bank, 2017; Government of Sierra Leone, 2015).

TVET in Sierra Leone has the potential to enhance youth employability and improve economic growth by addressing gaps in the labour market. In relation to the higher education sector, TVET focuses on providing practical training, knowledge and skills development directly linked to economic development, specifically occupations, production, services and livelihoods.

The Government of Sierra Leone has long recognised the importance of TVET. NCVTA, as the national autonomous apex body for the TVET sector, is responsible for skill development policy implementation. The NCTVA lacks the human and technical capacity to implement an effective TVET system. The TVET system in Sierra Leone also encounters numerous development challenges, including a) several actors in the system are not functioning, resulting in fragmentation and coordination challenges; b) private sector employers are not substantially involved in developing the TVET system, and as a result, TVET supply is disconnected with the demands of the private sector and the market; and c) the combination of a fragmented TVET system with limited employers and sector engagement means that the overall quality of the training and products delivered through the TVET sector is inadequate. There is currently no formal mechanism to assess the actual demands for skills in key economic sectors.

In its effort to bridge the mismatch in the skills produced by the education and training institutions and the skills required in the workplace, the government mobilised funding and technical resources from World Bank, GIZ, AfDB and other multi- and bilateral agencies to institute initiatives to enhance the overall skills development programmes and institutions across the country. The PPP framework evolved as a critical area of investment by the government in the human capital of Sierra Leone (Table 3.1).

Table 3.1 The issues and challenges of implementing TVET

TVET and Economic Growth and Development

There is a conscious effort on the part of Sierra Leone’s government to diversify its economic base by investing in the creation of the enabling environments in the sectors that exhibit potential for growth and economic development. The government lists these sectors as priority growth areas, namely, agriculture, tourism, construction, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and mining. The New Direction policy document - Vision 2025 - and the Agenda for Prosperity include the areas the government will target for driving economic development and the creation of gainful employment for youth. In keeping with its objective of sustainable socioeconomic development, the government is dedicated to supporting these critical economic drivers.

Despite the concerted efforts on the part of the Government of Sierra Leone to hasten the economic growth process by enhancing employment opportunities, youth unemployment continues to pose fundamental challenges. Unemployment among the educated youth who have graduated from universities and colleges is also becoming a serious concern of officials. It is believed that the persistent unemployment among graduates in Sierra Leone is due mainly to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge provided by tertiary institutions and that which are required by the job market (Carter, 2008; UNDP, 2015).

Research shows that there is consensus on the relevance of TVET systems to develop the skills that are required by the workforce and to consequently boost productivity, economic growth and high-quality employment (ILO, 2010, 2013; UNDP, 2015). Research shows a close relationship between the provision of quality TVET, particularly effective practical training, apprenticeship and internship systems, to producing viable skilled youth to address the gaps in the labour market (Poschen, 2015; Simmons, 2021).

TVET and Access, Quality and Relevance of Skills

The quality of skills development programmes provided to youth in Sierra Leone is extremely limited in terms of programme content, methodology and the lack of modern training tools at the training institutions delivering TVET initiative (Carter, 2008, UNDP, 2015). This is compounded by the low capacity in the country to absorb the increasing numbers of unemployed youths and school dropouts (Government of Sierra Leone, 2015).

The skills development programmes provided to youth do not meet the aspiration of the youth and the need of the marketplace. Many young people do not have the soft skills required in terms of time management, job application preparation and participation in job interviews to enable them to maintain a job. This has led to some programmes being undersubscribed and TVET graduates not taking up related employment. This situation has exacerbated the poor social acceptance of TVET, which has been affected by several factors such as poor working conditions and low wages of TVET occupations.

Ineffective Training Delivery

Employers have criticised training delivery of the TVET institutions as not being effective, as they do not prepare jobseekers with the appropriate skills and attitudes needed for employment (Carter, 2008). Employers expect higher competency in core skills as well as soft skills of the TVET graduates. This can be attributed to weak linkages between the industry and the institutions on the job and the absence of setting facilities and equipment standards for implementing TVET.

Ineffective Management and Administration of Training Delivery

The revised Education Act (Government of Sierra Leone, 2004) has designated the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education as the coordinating body for TVET but has not been established. As a result, the monitoring of TVET is still weak for quality and relevance.

The Financing of TVET

Although TVET is recognised as the backbone of a country’s economy and strategy for employment generation, there is weak and ad hoc advocacy for TVET by top-level leadership, i.e. at the national level. There is no widespread awareness of TVET reforms and initiatives, which has led to insufficient funding to support the development and expansion of the TVET subsector over the past decade. Currently, the government is putting mechanisms in place by mobilising technical and financial resources from World Bank, GIZ and African Development Bank to ensure equity and sustainability in TVET funding.

Role of Private Sector in TVET

Integrating labour market needs into the TVET system and linking it with better outcomes is a pressing issue in TVET provision today in Sierra Leone. Private stakeholders are rarely involved in shaping framework conditions for skills development and technical vocational education and training. This calls for elaborate policy on the opportunities and challenges for public authorities to create favourable framework conditions for private-sector engagement in TVET delivery, explicitly looking at opportunities to institutionalise the cooperation between private and public stakeholders in integrating learning and working at the workplace.

Therefore, to improve the responsiveness and relevance of training, skills training strategies need to be implemented to pursue public-private partnership in TVET, to expand work-based and enterprise-based training and to strengthen the links between public and private employers when hiring TVET graduates (UNDP, 2015; ILO, 2010). Currently, there is no tangible policy in Sierra Leone to provide incentives and rewards to generate broader industry support and commitment for training, expanding scholarships and other assistance to fund the development of critical skills and higher technologies and incentivise the TVET institutions. Critically, it is necessary to increase the prominence of private sector agencies in shaping occupational standards and the government’s policy on TVET.

There is a tendency globally to focus on skills development within the private sector; however, there are many issues that the private sector in Sierra Leone do not possess the capacity to respond to effectively. These include developing national policies, focusing priorities for economic development, guiding curriculum development, quality assurance systems and updating national labour market information systems. These areas are the government’s responsibility; therefore, this is a unique role they can play in the new PPP framework.

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) aims to change the role of the public sector in TVET systems and requires a conceptual shift from implementers to facilitators of change. This changing government role includes shifting from the provider of TVET services and programmes to the role of facilitation and regulation of TVET. The TVET PPP process provides increasing opportunities to the private sector to take responsibility for skills provision and standards required for human resources development to support national and regional economic development.

Mapping of PPP in TVET

Current Situation of Private Sector Engagement in Skills Development.

The TVET sector in Sierra Leone is weak, complex, with a wide range of public and private actors. While there have been efforts to create TVET standards and improve coordination, many of them do not sufficiently address the sector’s needs. Some of the fundamental building blocks for a strong TVET sector are missing; much of this is related to a lack of national qualification frameworks, definitions and labour market information. There is a need to address the issues of developing occupational standards defined by the private sector and a system of occupational classification distinct from training/curricula classification. There is confusion in Sierra Leone in terms of defining and applying the concept of occupational classification and standards in TVET. Such basic definitions need to be clarified to improve the fundamental building blocks regarding the conceptualisation of TVET and enhance relevant procedures for developing and comprehending curricula, training programme monitoring, instructional assessments and evaluating TVET programmes and provision.

TVET in Sierra Leone remains supply versus demand-driven, and therefore, its graduates do not have all the required skills relevant to the world of work. Employers expressed disappointment over the performance of TVET recruits, citing a lack of graduates in the occupations they need and graduates’ overall lack of practical knowledge and experience.

Overall, understanding of quality assurance among NCVTA is focused on measuring inputs such as curricula, assessments and school infrastructure, instead of outputs like TVET graduate employment or whether employers are satisfied with the quality of TVET hires.

During a mapping exercise, almost all employers felt that they cannot influence the TVET system and that it is difficult to engage because they have a limited understanding of the system, and their inputs are sometimes not prioritised. Of the types of TVET employer engagement, the most frequently cited is on-the-job training for trainees. More robust policies and frameworks are not in place for this and all other types of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in TVET. From the demand side, there still is no national labour market information system that would help detail occupation demand and ideally integrate with a MIS with TVET supply data. Finally, public awareness and understanding of TVET are limited, and there is no coordinated approach among providers to improve this.

Private Sector in PPP in TVET in Sierra Leone

The private sector can play a significant role in consultations on skills needs and the planning of vocational education skills in the workforce. The current skills demanded by employers do not precisely match the skills required by the market. This has resulted in a skills gap which comes at a cost for the economy (Carter, 2008; ILO, 2010). PPP in TVET is of particular importance since it can be comprehensively designed to encompass all aspects and levels of education and training, including financing, infrastructure, quality, in-service training of TVET instructors, establishment and review of vocational trades and technical courses. Skills development programmes necessarily involve close collaboration with industry and enterprises under the overall coordinating role of government.

PPP Framework: Private Sector Participation in Skills Development in Sierra Leone

Although the development needs of least developing countries (LDC) or a sector in Africa are similar, these countries and/or sectors are at varying stages of the development continuum. There is a difference in the specific development of these countries; hence, the PPP framework cannot be copied from one country to another country. There is no single model PPP framework that can be used across countries across a specific region. The PPP framework has been demonstrated as complex and filled with pitfalls and challenges (Chan et al., 2005). Therefore, to facilitate the success of the growing PPP infrastructure or development programme, researchers should continue to observe the PPP approach, identify potential issues and provide solutions to resolve these development challenges.

A PPP framework for a specific country would typically evolve over time, often in response to specific challenges facing the country and the implementation of its PPP programme. In the early stages of developing the PPP framework, the emphasis is on consulting with appropriate stakeholders to collect the necessary data enabling the consultant to create and promote PPP opportunities.

The components of a comprehensive PPP framework typically include the following:

• Policy: articulation of the rationale behind the intent to use PPPs to deliver TVET services, the objectives, scope and implementing principles of the PPP programme.

• Legal framework: the laws and regulations that underpin the PPP programme, i.e. enabling the partnership to enter into PPP agreement and setting up the rules and boundaries for how the PPPs are implemented. This can include PPP-specific legislation, laws and regulations or sector-specific laws and regulations.

• Processes and institutional responsibilities: the steps by which PPP projects are identified, developed, appraised, implemented and managed and the roles of different entities in the process. A sound PPP process is efficient, transparent, and followed consistently to control the quality of PPP projects effectively.

Establishing a PPP Framework

• TVET Sector Analysis

Sierra Leone is grappling with high youth unemployment, poverty, inequality and slow economic growth. The unemployment situation is so severe that young people who graduate from tertiary and TVET institutions find it difficult to be employed. This is because they do not have the right skills needed by employers.

Therefore, there is an intention on the part of the government to put strategic emphasis on exploring the potential role of public-private partnerships in promoting alignment in skills development. The government is exploring the development of an integrated partnership approach in skills training within the TVET sector that will bring together all stakeholders, including public, private and non-profit, National Council for Technical, Vocational and other Academic Awards (NCVTA), National Council for Technical and Vocational Education (NCTVE), other related TVET departments as well as employers and employer organisations. This proposed framework could help to expand opportunities for work-integrated learning programme placements and increase the avenues for youths to find employment after graduation (Table 3.2).

Table 3.2 Roles and responsibilities of actors in key policy promoting, driving and supporting

Operationalising the PPP Framework in Sierra Leone

The operationalisation of the PPP framework will take the following:

• Step 1: Formation of a PPP-TVET Partnership Committee.

This step comprised the formation of a committee made up of representatives of key stakeholders, including the TVET coalition and the private sector, and chaired by the PPP Unit. The Unit’s role will consist of policy formulation and development relating to PPP and TVET, providing an update on the legal framework that supports the PPP TVET process and clarifying and/or contributing to the national economic guidelines concerning TVET.

Other stakeholders’ committee members will include representatives of the trainers/teachers and students enrolled in TVET institutions. Mechanisms will be instituted to ensure adequate feedback from young people and instructors on the effective application of curricula, testing, training and employment uptake by graduates to assess the programme’s success. Effective partnership building and sustaining a productive education-industry partnership require commitment, time, effort and involvement by all the stakeholders.

• Step 2: Assign Roles and Responsibilities of Key Stakeholders.

The following roles will be assigned to each of the key stakeholders:

The Role of the Government

The government willingness to relinquish its monopoly on provision of training and enter into PPPs will be a crucial indication of its seriousness to move forward with the PPP process. The strength of the Government of Sierra Leone in demonstrating its commitment to the development of the PPP process would be reflected in its enthusiasm to develop a monitoring system and provide accreditation and certification and incentives to the other stakeholders to participate in the process through subsidies, tax waivers, inclusion in decision-making and support for critical values that lie outside the immediate tangible gain such as equity. As stated in the advisory note on PPPs in TVET, the following should also be considered by the government.

The Role of TVET Institutions

The role of TVET institutions in ensuring a successful implementation of the PPP framework is crucial. Their roles will include identifying the right private industry that would support the PPP framework and aid in the specified skills area. Their willingness to accept the standards of the industry and the examinations system is paramount to a successful PPP-TVET partnership. The TVET institution should also be willing to provide teachers and instructors and be responsive to in-service training that the industry will be providing.

• Step 3: Identify Challenges in the Relevance and Quality of the TVET Courses, Skills Mismatch, Etc. and Solutions as Illustrated in the Table Below.

Step 3 is crucial to the overall development of the PPP process. During this step it is important that mechanisms such as refined survey instruments and monitoring and evaluation systems are put in place to ensure data collection and feedback through the PPL process. Here the organisers will have a mechanism which gives them direct contact with key stakeholders in TVET to enable them to collect data on all areas of the TVEP process including the relevance and quality of the TVET programmes.

• Step 4: Selection of PPP-TVET Partnership Model That Can Be Considered in Sierra Leone Context.

The government will assess and select a PPP model from the list of the different models of PPP-TVET partnership models that can be considered in Sierra Leone context. This can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis which will involve the government, the industry and the specified TVET institution.

• Step 5: Formation of a Binding Document That Specifies the Roles, Responsibilities and Mode of Operations of All Parties Concerned.

The relationship between the private sector and Government of Sierra Leone can be formalised by an MOU or other such legal provision. The agreement could take the form of an agreement with a particular sector institution to carry out training in a specific sector, and/or the other might be an agreement between a learning group and the government providing learning facilitators. The roles of the key stakeholders (the government, the private sector/industry and the TVET institutions) and the method of operation will be detailed in such a document.

• Step 6: Data Analysis for Performance Indicators.

This partnership needs to be evaluated to assess the various indicators for success. These indicators include responsiveness, relevance, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and sustainability to measure effectiveness of PPP process. This process will enable the government and key stakeholders to evaluate the relevance of the courses, cost-effectiveness of the trainings, training methods, equipment and tools. The table below illustrates details of the performance indicators (Table 3.3).

Table 3.3 Details of the performance indicators

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Conclusion of the PPP Framework

Sierra Leone is faced with acute skill shortage. This represents a major challenge for the country as it tries to improve its global competitiveness. Therefore, despite government efforts, the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system remains complex, with multiple stakeholders operating at different levels and moving into different directions, which has led to many inefficiencies and duplication of efforts. This has also led to the duplication of efforts and wastage of the limited resources available to drive the countries skills training and development process (Carter, 2008).

In recognition of the above situation in Sierra Leone, a fundamental shift is needed from quantity to quality in terms of its skills development process and more engagement with private sector to achieve a demand-led TVET system that answers to the development needs of the workforce and the private sector. The government committed to work with private sector agencies to accelerate changes in policies, including lowering taxes and providing incentives to encourage businesses to participate in the TVET schemes. It is recognised by the government that for the private sector to become competitive, they will be required quality human capital to enhance efficiency and quality of output. The PPL framework provides an excellent opportunity to the private sector to shape and influence the curriculum, content and mode of instruction of TVET institutions in terms of the skills and competencies their staff will acquire during training. The private sector agency will in turn provide financial support to sponsor trained, technical advice, modern tools, apprenticeship and internship opportunities to youth will pursuing their studies. This shift in development of a PPP framework will enable the government of Sierra Leone to address the mismatch on the skills that are provided by training and education institutions and those that are required by the market (ILO, 2010; Carter, 2008; Simmons, 2021; Government of Sierra Leone, 2019a, b).

Therefore, there exists significant space within the system for new players to be engaged in successful and innovative pathways in which the private sector can be engaged in the development and implementation of the TVET sector in Sierra Leone.

Appendix 3: Summary of the YEEP Pilot Model Framework

Introduction

Entrepreneurship is considered by the Government of Sierra Leone as one of the solutions to address high youth unemployment in the country, and as a result, there are several initiatives focused on the promotion of entrepreneurship among young people (Government of Sierra Leone, 2019a, b; IMF, 2019). The Government of Sierra Leone along with several stakeholders have launched numerous initiatives to promote self-employment, especially targeting the younger population. However, there is still a consensus that despite numerous governments and private-led initiatives, the system to support starting entrepreneurs remains weak, with the lack of effective capacity building services for entrepreneurs identified as a huge limitation.

It is believed that the technical assistance will play a crucial role in the achievement of sustainable development, by identifying youth entrepreneurs and businesses with growth potential and providing them with the tools to expand and develop sustainably. This component is in line with the consortium’s ambition of private sector development for job creation and economic development among Sierra Leoneans especially Sierra Leonean youth. With the strong experience regarding youth development, entrepreneurship, incubation, accelerator programmes and business development support services, the YEEP team possess the capacity and competencies to tackle the youth employment challenge through entrepreneurship and technical assistance (TA).

Sierra Leone remains among the world’s poorest countries according to the Human Development Index (UNDP, 2020). It also ranks 154th on the list of exporting countries in the world.² The country still suffers from the severe impact of civil war, which lasted for 11 years from 1991 to 2002.³ Additionally, the outbreak of the Ebola pandemic in 2014 caused significant damages to the country already weak socioeconomic systems.⁴ The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to significantly worsen the economic prospect of Sierra Leone.

Youth unemployment is widespread and is estimated at approximately 70% of youth being underemployed or unemployed. The private sector of Sierra Leone is very weak, with a significant portion of enterprises being small. Bank lending to the private sector is only 30% of their portfolio. For sectors such as agriculture, it is only 7% of their portfolio. Interest rate ranges from 25% to 30%, making it exceedingly difficult for businesses to expand even in cases where these businesses are well established.

Sierra Leone’s Agenda for Prosperity commits it on the path of becoming an inclusive green, middle-income country by 2035. Sierra Leone uniquely defines green growth as developing infrastructure, energy and cities sustainably; managing renewable and non-renewable natural resources efficiently; and building resilience for the benefit of citizens. The impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and strong dependence on natural resources have driven the country to ensure a sustainable development pathway. This strategy will enhance Sierra Leone’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , which it currently lags behinds. In ensuring green growth, the Government of Sierra Leone has identified certain key sectors and intervention strategies that will lead to the desired growth to make it a middle-income economy by 2030, which investment in human capital through entrepreneurship is viewed as one of the main vehicles for driving this new wave of economic expansion.

SWOT Analysis

The consultant utilised SWOT analysis to further explore the strength and weaknesses of the employment and entrepreneurial environment in Sierra Leone. The analytical tool also provides opportunity for the consultant to investigate the opportunities which exist and the threads to be impacted on employment creation and enhancing and/or retarding sustainable livelihoods in Sierra Leone.

Sectors of Interest

The key sectors of interest include agribusiness, renewable energy, tourism, ICT and transportation. These sectors were chosen within the context of the country’s development macro-strategy, sectors’ contribution to the economy and its ability to offer mass employment for people of Sierra Leone, and its synergies with other initiatives within the country.

Agribusiness and Fisheries

Sierra Leone’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture. It contributed about 47–50% of the GDP. The crops that require investments are rice, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, cassava and vegetables.⁵ A commodity like rice contributes to 75% of agricultural GDP. The supportive agro-ecological climate in Sierra Leone is a known fact. The total arable land is estimated at 4.3 million hectares,⁶ with less than 20% having been put under cultivation.⁷ Despite abundance of land which support rice cultivation in the year 2016, the country spent $76 million on rice importation. The importation of rice currently is estimate at $100 million.⁸

Opportunities within the agricultural sector run from production to processing. There are two major setbacks in the sector. These is the absence in the sector of measures, including a) technologies to enhance sustainable production and b) limited opportunities for ago-processing to add value to primary products.

In the level of fisheries subsector, the scoping and stakeholder interactions revealed a strategic interest by the Government of Sierra Leone to create sustainable jobs for youth in this sector. Unfortunately, this has failed due to a) poor business services in the fishery enterprises and b) the poor access to modern technologies.

Renewable Energy

Although Sierra Leone has abundant natural resources for significant energy production, access to energy is extremely low. Access to electricity is a challenge for most citizens in Sierra Leone. It is estimated that only 13% of the population have access to electricity. Other estimations from outlets such as the International Energy Agency estimate that less than 10% of Sierra Leoneans have access to electricity.⁹ This electricity connection is consumed by the four main cities.

It is important to note that of Sierra Leone’s 90 MW of installed capacity, 86% is consumed mainly by Freetown (the capital city). In the rural areas, less than 2% of the population have access to electricity.¹⁰ They often gain energy through biomass such as charcoal and firewood and diesel-powered generators. It is estimated that there are 33,000 generators currently in use that provide a capacity of approximately 180 MW.¹¹ Sierra Leone is currently experiencing a net deficit of power with average peak demand requirements of 300–500 MW. The country is in desperate need of new power and renewable sources.

The Government of Sierra Leones is seeking to develop cheap, affordable energy for all of its citizens by leveraging its renewable energy (RE) resources. Solar energy systems have already proven itself as cheap alternative energy source for Sierra Leoneans. Additionally, hydropowered energy systems have been identified as a critical potential source of energy for multiple applications.

Tourism

Sierra Leone as a least developed state in West Africa offers bountiful tourism opportunities. These include bird watching, sport fishing and climbing in nature preserves such as Outamba-Kilimi National Park, Lake Sonfon, Gola forest and Tiwai island sanctuary. The tourism sector also includes 350 kilometres of prime beaches, untapped unique landscape, scenery and cultural heritage. In 2012, revenue generated from the tourism industry stood at $41.6 million, and in 2013, revenue generated $58.6, which shows a progressive growth in the industry.

The potential in the sector offers significant opportunities for businesses providing all kinds of services to tourists. This could include ticketing, transportation, hotel/lodging, tour guides, restaurants and many more. In 2016, the total contribution of travel and tourism to employment, including jobs indirectly supported by the industry, was 3.2% of total employment (41,000 jobs). This is expected to rise by 2.7% pa to 58,000 jobs in 2027 (3.4% of total).¹²

Information Communication and Technology (ICT)

Information communication and technology (ICT) opportunities are abundant since the current uptake of these ICT technologies is within an exceedingly small fraction of the population. For example, less than 50% of the population have access to mobile phones.¹³ Mobile money services are still of exceptionally low patronage. However, it is estimated that over 200,000 people in West Africa, predominantly in the retailing and distribution of services and handsets, gained employment from mobile operators and the wider mobile ecosystem in 2017.¹⁴ The country is in the process of attracting high-level investments into the ICT sector that will ultimately stimulate downstream activities among SMEs. These investments include Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine fibre cable – a $31 million loan facility from the World Bank to improve speed of Internet and enhance associated services related to voice, data and video.

Target Groups

The Graduate Entrepreneurship Programmes (GEP) primarily focus on early-stage businesses established and run by graduate youth. The GEP will be engaged with young entrepreneurs in line with the definition of youth in Sierra Leone. These businesses should contribute to the development of the green economy of Sierra Leone, and thus they must address at least one of the four sectors of interest. The businesses in question should require financing (credit) between $3000 and $10,000.

The businesses should have potential to create employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled youth (including women). Businesses whose operations have linkages with economy of rural communities such as agro processing and ecotourism will be given priority. Some common features among the target businesses are lack of collateral to enhance access to loans and the limited deal flow. The market in Sierra Leone is relatively smaller, and most entrepreneurs lack clear insight on market opportunities.

Aim and Objective of the Project

The YEEP is aimed at contributing to the Government of Sierra Leone’s efforts through the National Youth Commission (Implementing agency) to create decent jobs and sustainable incomes for the youth. The overall aim of the project is to reinforce the employability of Sierra Leone Youth as well as enhancing their entrepreneurship skills through the development of a framework which integrates education and vocational institutions with job market demand and supply.

It is envisaged that this approach will result in strengthening the occupational levels in the youth population segments of the country which will eventually trigger sustained economic development in the growth sectors.

The objectives of the project are to:

• Improve the skills for employment of Leonean Youth.

• Strengthen the capacities of key stakeholders and institutions involved in youth development, entrepreneurship and employment.

• Scale up successful pilot initiatives.

As this is a pilot project and it is expected that the approaches and methodologies developed will be used to scale up, institutionalise and sustain, this conceptual framework for the pilot model has been developed. To fully contribute to the general objective of strengthening entrepreneurship and creating employment for young people through the development of models, capacities and systems linking the education/vocational institutions with the market, the assignment will in particular:

• Adopt an overall piloting approach characterised by the modulisation and the measure of its activities and results to secure its replicability and its scalability.

• Provide high-quality tailored services in the implementation of the activities.

• Focus on the sustainability of the activities and the outcomes and the capacity building of implementing institutions (government, education institutions, private sector, PIU …) and participants (TVET instructors, counsellors, BSC staff …).

• Promote innovation in the design and experimentation of the activities of the assignment, in particular the development of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework and of the curricula as well as the establishment of the platform and of the networking.

Management and Coordination of the Project

The YEEP is implemented by the Government of Sierra Leone through the National Youth Commission (NAYCOM) and funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The YEEP is managed by a consortium headed by the Lattanzio Advisory SpA (Milan, Italy) and include Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini (Rome, Italy) and Fondazione AVSI (Milan, Italy/Freetown, Sierra Leone).

Theoretical Framework of the YEEP Guiding Principles for Implementation

The methodology used in the pilot implementation is aligned to the guidance provided in consultation with stakeholders, lessons learned and recommendations from previous research done on youth the impact of climate change on youth in small island communities which led to the development of the Youth Climate Change Adaptation Framework (Simmons, 2021). It also considers the timeframe, scope and the intensity of project design. In undertaking the pilot implementation, the team technical experts comprised of the team leader, the key experts and non-key experts employed a step-like approach to activate the framework.

The implementation team worked towards improvement of systems and skills for systematic reflection on and learning from practice. The team brought new methodologies and tools to nurture the development of the institutional capacity of the National Youth Commission and the partner agencies participating in the project. The capacity development sessions for participating organisations focused on enhancing social skills such as effective communication, network dynamics, participatory decision making and gender awareness in a highly interactive manner, which contributed to the spread of knowledge.

Monitoring and Evaluation

All training courses will be monitored and evaluated to capture the views and perception of the participants, instructors and administrative officials of partner agencies on how effective and efficient the training courses are delivered. This is done via a confidential evaluation form as well as verbally monthly, mid-term and at the end of the training project. Positive aspects and suggestions for improvement are captured from participants, instructor, management of partner institutions and officials of NAYCOM. Evaluation results of all project activities will be archived and aggregated by a consultant and shared with the M&E specialist of NAYCOM. Results will be used to make improvement and continuous adaptation of the project.

The team would use the data from the M&E activities and physical visits to partner institutions to prepare monthly performance management and operational reports for submission to Lattanzio KIBs for submission to NAYCOM. It will also prepare mid-term and end of project reports for submission to NAYCOM. These reports will also bear in mind the various stages and deliverables of the project.

Monitoring Mechanisms for Each Component

• Component 0: Project Management

This component of the project will be managed by the Project Lead Consultant of the YEEP on the following primary indicators:

• Approved monitoring framework.

• Submission of monthly reports.

• Number of capacity building sessions conducted for PIU.

• Approved strategy for upscaling and sustaining project.

• Component 1: Skills Development for Employment

The Skills Development for Employment component will be managed by the key expert with responsibility for this aspect of the project. The following monitoring and evaluation strategy will be used for the project:

Measure the progress and quality of the outputs and activities and risks related to its implementation, such as the monitoring of key indicators and the mapping of risks.

It will be an ongoing process, and, if required, corrective measures will be taken at the earliest possible stage to avoid the accumulation of quality deficiencies that may be hard to remedy at a later stage.

The component will be monitored based on the following primary indicators:

• Successful completion of the PPP framework.

• Updated course content and training methodologies for the three priority skills and trades in selected TVET institutions.

• Complete the preparation of the entrepreneurship curriculum for the selected TVETs.

• Completion of the Training of Trainers for 20 TVET instructors for the priority skills and trades and entrepreneurship training.

• Completion of the training of 100 youths in supervisory skills.

• Completion of the training of 150 youth in the selected priority skills.

Furthermore, the following additional indicators were used to assess the progresses made in various output areas:

• Improved employment rate of youth participating in TVET training programme.

• Number of female beneficiaries participating in the project.

• Percentage of youths linked with private sector employers for employment.

• Number of capacity building sessions conducted.

• Increase in the number of inquiries and enrolment in TVET institutions.

• Number of communication activities conducted (e.g. PR events, press releases, conferences held, email alerts, etc.)

• Number of donor acknowledgements done via different media (e.g. banners, websites, press releases, etc.)

Operationalisation of the Skills Development for Employment Theory of Change Continuum Model

The consortium embarked on a comprehensive study on the status of youth employment in Sierra Leone using appropriate research methodology and tools. Skills development is critical to youth employments and job creation. The study discovered that youth in Sierra Leone have inappropriate skills to enhance their employability. This is due to the training provided to youth is not relevant to the needs of the job market in Sierra Leone (Carter, 2008, ILO, 2010). This outcome is also due to the non-availability of appropriate tools and poor quality of training provided by TVET institutions. It also discovered that TVET institutions have the infrastructure to carry out the technical trainings, but do not have modern equipment and nor tools to train students in the respective skills offered. The curricula implemented in these institutions were irrelevant to the needs of the market and do not consider the impact of climate change and other development calamities on Sierra Leone now and in the future.

Partnership was forged with the TVET secretariat and TVET institutions to develop the PPP framework to encourage private sector investment in TVET.

Curriculum and Modular Development

The skills development curricula was prepared by the consortium with inputs from key experts and institutions and was sent to NCTVA for review and approval. The contents include the three skills areas executed by component 1 of the YEEP including Sustainable Hospitalities (Hotel Management and Tourism), Sustainable Construction (Carpentry, Masonry and Aluminium Fabrication (a new course introduced at GTI) and Sustainable Agriculture (Aquaculture/Fish Farming). These curricula are designed to provide the appropriate guide and pedagogy for training students in partner institutions in order to enhance their skills development to help reduce the skills gaps in the labour market and promote youth employability. The curricula contain training guidelines, methodology and supporting materials for trainers/tutors to use in the execution of the specific skills training. The content for the training courses is sector specific, and the goal is to enable lecturers, instructors and supervisors to facilitate effective learning with positive results.

Identify Institutions and Signing of MOU

Partner institutions were identified followed by institutional assessment. Three (3) higher institutions (Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCET) – Brookfields Campus was selected to deliver Hotel Management and Tourism course to TVET students, the Government Technical Institute - Ferry Junction for Construction and Aluminium Fabrication and Njala University for Aquaculture and Fish Farming) were identified by the consortium for partnership. Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) was developed and signed by representatives of partner institutions for the implementation of activities of component 1 of the YEEP project in the respective institutions based on a) availability of expertise to deliver the training and b) adequacy of training facilities/space and methodologies. The curricula then informed the development of skills-specific training manuals that institutions are using to train their tutors to deliver quality hands-on training to TVET students. Training modules for the 3 skills areas were developed, and 60 TVET instructors trained deliver competency-based trainings in the three partner institutions.

Training of Supervisors/Mentors and Students (Methodology, Pedagogy; Theoretical and Practical)

Trainings were conducted for TVET trainers/tutors in each of the partner institution using appropriate methodology and pedagogy. The curriculum that informed those trainings and practical sessions was central during the trainings of the supervisors and mentors. Facilitators or tutors were drawn from the private sector and the institutions considering their expertise in the various sectors (Aquaculture, Construction and Hotel Management and Tourism). The three separate trainings lasted for a period of 4 days each followed by certification of participants by NAYCOM.

Students were recruited in each institution from their specific departments followed by training in subsections involved in component 1 of the YEEP project. Trained lecturers and supervisors provided trainings and mentorships for TVET students. Their session was a blend of theory and practical, allowing them to gain fullest understanding and techniques of the various skills involved in each component. Trainings lasted for a period of 3–9 months, and this was followed by internship and job placement in the private sector. One hundred four youths (M: 61; F: 43) were trained on management and supervisory skills from the three institutions (Njala, MMCET & GTI). The trainings enhanced their mentorship and supervisory skills; hence the PPP framework is pivotal in this situation as it enables the private sector to integrate professionally trained students in various skills areas.

Employment and Employability

Once students have gotten the requisite trainings and gone on internships and job placements, they are fully equipped and ready to take-up decent jobs in their various fields. MOU was signed between MIRO Timber Company and GTI for transfer of knowledge, provision of technical and material support to the TVET Institution and job placement. A series of meetings were held with hotels and restaurants and travel and tourist agencies for internship opportunities for students from MMCET. Students from the Aquaculture and Fisheries Management Department have been placed on internship at Agro Fish-Farm in Bo, Njala University Fish Farm at Mokonde and Mano Daise in Moyamba District Company in Bo. Other private sector players have been contacted to provide partnership and internship/placement opportunities to partner institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted severely on the number of students, specifically from the Sustainable Hospitalities and Sustainable Construction courses who were able to take up internship/placement opportunities.

• Component 2: Career Guidance and Job Readiness

The deliverables will be monitored through reports of activities undertaken during the YEEP implementation process. The trainings will be monitored using training evaluation forms including:

• Satisfaction questionnaires for each training course, including trainers’ performance.

• Questionnaires for the evaluation of the environment in the classroom.

• Final test for the assessment of the knowledge and skills acquired (if requested).

• Elements of the training evaluation will include:

• Training objectives.

• Methods used by trainers.

• Relevance of the presentation.

• Course content.

• Venue.

• The main output indicators for which component 2 will be monitored are under three key deliverables:

• Career guidance and job readiness programme.

• 30 counsellors trained in designed Career Guidance and Job Readiness programme

• 2400 youth targeted in selected TVET institutions and universities and provided with training in career guidance and counselling as a pilot

• Further indicators to highlight progress made for each output indicator include:

• Number of female beneficiaries.

Operationalisation of the Career Guidance and Job Readiness Theory of Change Continuum Model

• Research on Employment and PPP Framework

Research on Career Guidance and Job Readiness was also conducted using similar research methodology as in the case of Skills Development for Employment. The study findings were thousands of graduates mistakenly choose courses in the university that do not match the expectations of the job markets. The result of this situation often leaves them being unemployed after graduation from the university. Hence, career guidance and counselling are very important to support students choose courses of their choice that will help them attain secured and decent employments after graduation. Career Guidance and Job Readiness (component 2 of the YEEP project) is therefore appropriate to help address these growing issues affecting our young graduates in almost all the universities in Sierra Leone.

The Career Guidance and Job Readiness programme has been approved and now institutionalised in all partner institutions across the country. The programme is now accessible by students in the various institutions: SOS, MMCET – Goderich Campus, EBK, Eastern Polytechnic, GTI and Njala University (Bo and Mokonde Campuses). Sixty (60) counsellors/university lecturers were trained on Career Guidance and Job Readiness modules for a possible cascading to the targeted 2400 students.

Curriculum and Modular Development

The Career Guidance and Job Readiness curriculum and training manuals were developed by Career Guidance and Job Readiness experts. The curriculum holds the training methodology and topics to be covered during the actual training of students. On average 80% training completed on all campus. 100% training modules have been uploaded on the platforms for counsellors to access and use as a guide when teaching.

Identify Institutions and Signing of MOU

Four partner institutions were identified based on the establishment of CAPS centres in those institutions and the availability of structures and facilities. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed to establish relationship and pathway for the implementation of component 2 activities of the YEEP project. Due to high interest demonstrated by youths across the country in the career programme, other institutions, SOS, MMCET, EBK and Njala University, were enlisted to deliver Career Guidance and Job Readiness courses on the campuses. The inclusion of the four institutions and the e-learning technology helped the career programme to record a total of 6130 students (255% more that proposed target) undergoing training on the different campuses across the country.

Training of Supervisors and Students (Methodology, Pedagogy; Theoretical and Practical)

Training of Trainers sessions were conducted for lecturers, counsellors and staff attached to the CAP centres of the partner institutions. The trainings were guided by the curriculum developed for Career Guidance and Job Readiness. Two 4-day trainings of trainers (ToT) for counsellors per institution was conducted in Bo and Freetown, respectively. A total of 60 counsellors were trained on Career Guidance and Job Readiness modules.

Also, students were recruited in each partner institution and trained by counsellors, mentors and lecturers. Trainings were student-centred, and practical counselling sessions on career development were conducted too. Students’ training lasted for a period of 3–9 months. E-learning was developed to provide the opportunity for the continuation of the training and interaction between students, counsellors and lecturers during the COVID pandemic when social distancing and other preventive measures were enforced.

Employment

The graduating students are believed to have made appropriate choices on their career paths that will earn them sustainable employment in both the public and private sectors.

• Component 3: Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme

The project result framework has identified the following project outcome indicators:

• Approved training manuals and operational instructions.

• Approved entrepreneurship training programme.

• Number of youths trained in entrepreneurship.

• Number of counsellors and mentors confirmed on business counselling and mentoring network.

• Number of youths active on entrepreneurship platform.

• Specific indicators to monitor include but not limited to:

• Increase in number of businesses started by youth participating in programme.

• Number of female beneficiaries.

• The main output indicators for which component 3 will be monitored are under three key deliverables:

• 16 staff members of BSCs trained

• 105 young people trained in entrepreneurship development

• 60 young people incubated and accelerated.

Operationalisation of the Graduate Entrepreneurship Theory of Change Continuum Model

The development of the pilot model of the conceptual framework for the Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme is informed by the outcomes of the SWOT analysis to assess the entrepreneurial environment in Sierra Leone. The pilot model framework is aligned with the critical issues surrounding the entrepreneurial growth of youth in Sierra Leone. This is a transformational process focusing on building sustainable youth-led business and employment in Sierra Leone. The process starts with the recruitment stage that provides the platform for graduate entrepreneurs to access the opportunities to be trained and mentored in business development and entrepreneurship. The weakness in the SWOT analysis highlights the growing gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sierra Leone. However, such weaknesses can be transformed through the GEP intervention by enabling the graduate youths to develop and establish sustainable businesses with the ease of accessing finance to support the development and expansion of youth businesses.

Achieving the GEP goal requires graduate entrepreneurs to go through a process that is highlighted in the pilot model conceptual framework. From the ideation stage to the acceleration, the graduate entrepreneurs are encouraged and guided to develop bankable business ideas. The ideation stage is focused on equipping the youth entrepreneur with business strategy using the business model canvas as a principal tool. Coaching forms part of this process as it enables entrepreneurs and mentors to discuss critical issues in their product development.

At the incubation stage, three thematic areas are emphasised for keen attention: market research, operations and human resource and financial modelling. The graduate entrepreneurs are subjected to get out of the training facility to reach their potential customers (conduct surveys) for feedback on their product to inform the development of their marketing strategy and competitive analysis. Operations and team enable the graduate to organise the business in a manner that is less harmful and recruits the appropriate personnel to run the business. Graduate entrepreneurs are encouraged to develop a suitable financial model that enables them to understand the viability of their businesses.

The acceleration stage prepares the graduate entrepreneurs on managerial competence, operational ability and growth potential of entrepreneurial ventures. The stage enables graduate entrepreneurs to build business partnership and attract investors and bankers through pitch development and presentation. Coaching and mentorship are critical in this stage. Thus, graduate entrepreneurs are assigned to key mentors with specialty in their respective businesses.

Summary of the YEEP Pilot Model Framework

The YEEP project was instituted to solve the problem of youth unemployment through enhancing the entrepreneurship culture among youth people in Sierra Leone. The YEEP comprised three components including component 1 which concerns with provision of skills training to enhance the employability of youth, component 2 which comprises of the provision of Career Guidance and Job Readiness training to youth in tertiary and TVET institutions to enhance their career choice by providing soft skills to enhance their employment prospects and component 3 which intends to inculcating a culture of entrepreneurship among graduate youths through training in entrepreneurship to equip them with skills to establish their own businesses for creating jobs for themselves and others.

The YEEP adopted Youth Climate Change Adaptation Framework (Simmons, 2021) which concerns with development of the skills and knowledge of young people to adapt to building their resilience to the compact of climate change and creating sustainable livelihoods via entrepreneurship. The YEEP encompasses adult learning methodological approaches that are linked to the theory of change conceptual framework to address youth unemployment and poverty in Sierra Leone. This approach aimed at creating sustainable youth-led enterprises across the country. Institutional assessments and Training of Trainers’ initiatives were organised to equip partner institutions to implement the YEEP within their respective districts/regions.

Overall, the goal of YEEP is to provide support to youth and the training institutions to provide skills and knowledge to youth to enable them to establish sustainable enterprises, create jobs and become self-employed. The YEEP enhance youth employability from a practical perspective by addressing the development challenges discussed in the background of the paper. Through the YEEP, it is believed that youth will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and competences to establish their own enterprises and create job opportunities for themselves and others and contribute significantly to building a sustainable economy in Sierra Leone.