Sierra Leone accelerates TVET transformation with international partnerships and agricultural skills push

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Technical and Higher Education has increased efforts to reform the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector through a series of high-level engagements aimed at improving skill development, entrepreneurship, and the link between education and employment.
The consultations, led by Minister Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, brought together international education specialists, industry representatives, and government stakeholders to devise practical measures that would align technical education with national development goals and current labour market needs. The commitment to adapt training programmes so that they respond to community economic activities and to support job creation through market-relevant instruction was central to the discussions.
A delegation from the BIO-VET Project, consisting of European agricultural and vocational education experts and Sierra Leone Chamber for Agribusiness Development (SLeCAD) representatives, met with Ministry officials to discuss ways to strengthen TVET systems and integrate entrepreneurship education into vocational curricula. The discussions centred on applied learning, innovation, and stronger institutional connections with industry, with a focus on curriculum development, faculty exchanges, collaborative research, and targeted support for small and medium-sized businesses and agribusiness ventures.
The Ministry announced plans to convert Government Technical Institutes into Community Technical Colleges as part of a larger reform initiative. The reconfigured institutions are intended to be closely linked to local economic priorities, promoting practical skills, encouraging innovation, and improving employment prospects by tailoring training to community and employer demand. This local collaboration aims to build a more efficient skills-for-work pipeline that benefits both trainees and regional economies.
In a separate meeting, Ministry officials convened a delegation led by Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to China to discuss proposals to transform one of the Government Technical Institutes into an Agriculture Centre of Excellence. The proposed centre would contribute to the country’s industrialisation strategy by implementing an agricultural park model and providing enhanced vocational training to prepare students for agribusiness and other value-chain roles. Deliberations focused on international best practices for establishing Centres of Excellence and developing skills systems that produce measurable productivity and employment outcomes.
According to the Ministry, these strategic engagements reflect a sustained effort to reposition TVET as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, productivity, and job creation. Sierra Leone hopes to equip young people with the practical skills needed to participate meaningfully in the nation’s development by strengthening partnerships with international experts and industry actors, as well as focusing on entrepreneurship, applied learning, and locally responsive training models.