The Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) Directorate of the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), headed by Dr. Victor Massaquoi has on Wednesday February 3, 2021 engaged the Director General of Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, Fodeba Daboh, at the Agency’s office in Freetown.
The purpose of the engagement is to increase partnership between the two government institutions in promoting skills and workforce development which falls within the mandate of the Agency.
D.G. Daboh welcomed the team from the Ministry, noting that the Agency needs the collaboration to deliver on its mandate. He explained that President Bio has severally stressed on the need for mutual partnership among Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in delivering on the national agenda. He said that cluster eight of the Medium-Term Development Plan speaks to collaboration among MDAs, adding, “This meeting is a follow up on the last meeting to ensure accelerated delivery on the government.”
The Agency did a presentation on Annual Work Plan and activities signed to with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) with clear focus on Skills Workforce Development that directly speaks to TVET.
Daboh further said, “We want to ensure how best we can collaboratively work together to ensure success in our activities,” adding that they need to develop joint proposals to reach out to those interested in skills development.
In his response, the Director of TVET, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Victor Massaquoi thanked D.G. Daboh for his brief remarks and requested to go through the presentation.
He disclosed that Parliament has approved TVET policy, adding that they have reviewed the Ministry’s communications strategy in order to rebrand and resuscitate TVET in the country.
He stated that they had reactivated specific TVET policies, noting that the Ministry is currently working with the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) on the side of the teachers. He said that they want to develop a critical skills database in the Ministry. “The only way to access better education is to have a pathway to TVET education which will lead one to Higher education,” he said.
He added that previously, the Country had 50 schools doing TVET education, but this number has dropped to 11 due to lack of management skills.
He pointed out that the Ministry is working on a National Qualification Framework (NQF), which he promised the Agency will be part of going forward. He revealed that the Ministry is working hard to upgrade TVET courses so that students will pursue Bachelors courses by 2024. He said they intend on ensuring that the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) is an equivalent to WASSCE so that students could access the Universities upon completion of that qualification.
Dr. Massaquoi concluded, with a request on their need for collaboration in critical skills for the database, for developing proposals and concept notes to expose the Agency in their work in terms of Synergies in all their activities especially regarding the local content plazas, for accessing MTHE Scholarships for staff capacity building, and to be featured in the EPP funding so that the Agency could benefit support for its operations.
In his PowerPoint presentation, Director of Operations of the SLLCA, Mr. Thomas Momoh Bockarie, said the objective of the Agency is working with the Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) companies to submit their local content plans, and also stressed the need for a nexus with MTHE for support.
He reiterated the need for strong partnership for the establishment of critical skills database for the Agency, and the need for capacity building especially those in the TVET sector.
He said that they recently held a meeting with the TEC on the review of the national curriculum on critical skills to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.
By Stephen V. Lansana
04/02/2021. ISSUE NO: 7995