Youth unemployment is a major challenge affecting Liberia’s development. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s Global Employment Trends for Youth 2023 report, Liberia’s unemployment rate among youth between the ages of 15 and 24 is 2.3 percent.
By Gbatemah S.K. Senah- Cuttington University Graduate School contributing writer
With a low literacy rate and poor or non-existent vocational training programs, the unemployment rate is high. According to the 2022 National Census, only 5 percent of Liberia’s 5.2 million people are over 60 years.
This high proportion of young people poses a serious challenge. This could lead to increased social unrest and economic instability, according to a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 2023 Human Development Report on Liberia. This paper proposes strategic solutions to youth unemployment in Liberia.
While past governments and development partners have attempted to provide empowerment for young people, many of the efforts have lacked holistic approaches. Amongst these interventions are the Liberia Youth Employment Program (LYEP- 2010 – 2013) aimed to create temporary jobs for the youths; the Youth Employment Project (YEP – 2013-2016) meant for temporary employment for 2,500 youths; the Youth Opportunity Project (YOP – 2015-2022), meant to expand access to income opportunities for vulnerable youths in Liberia; and the Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Project (YEEP – 2016-2022) aimed at creating integrated and sustainable systems linking the education/vocational institutions with the market. However, these efforts have largely fallen short of adequately addressing the problem.
Upon assuming office, President Joseph Boakai recommitted the government to empowering youth by investing in them. His administration’s National Education Sector Plan (2021-2025) recommends widening vocational training programs to equip youth with skills relevant to labor market needs.
Any future intervention should include reforms in the education sector, with special emphasis on better access to quality education and curricula that are aligned with market needs. That includes investment in teacher training, infrastructure, and educational resources to raise the overall quality of education. A focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) can also prepare the youths for emerging job markets.
With the need for a comprehensive approach in addressing Liberia’s high youth unemployment, a focus on educational reform, vocational training, and infrastructure market policies, will create an enabling environment for job creation. Such would leverage skills of young people and equip them with employable skills relevant for the job market.
