73
pletion of the deliverable for the respective stages
of the project, the YEEP was successful in delivering the outcomes to its beneficiaries.
Although climate change and other development challenges were not factored into the YEEP
project proposal, building the resilience of the
youth to adapt to climate change and other development calamities was a significant outcome of
the YEEP thus far. During the inception period of
the project, the consortium organised numerous
stakeholder consultations on the development
challenges concerning youth employment. The
impact of climate change and the mismatch in the
education provided to the youth by tertiary and
TVET institutions were significant concerns of
the youth, employers and policymakers. The decision was taken by the consortium to work with
NCTVA to develop curricula and training manuals to reflect these concerns. These documents are
currently with the NCTVA for their final approval.
A comprehensive ToT was implemented to train
senior managers, counsellors, lecturers, instructors, managers of TVET and tertiary institutions
on how to use the new curricula and training manuals. These activities resulted in a cadre of over
110 senior lectures, instructors and trainers trained
on the impact of climate change on developing
countries and strategies for the resilience building
of young people to adapt to climate change within
the three skills and trades. The modified climate
change-centric curriculum makes Sierra Leone
the first country in West Africa with developed
curricula and trained instructors ready to deliver
Climate Change Education for Sustainable
Development to youth at tertiary and TVET levels
in the education system (ILO 2010; UNESCO
2015; UNDP 2015).
Another major success of the project is piloting the hybridisation of top-down and bottom-up
approaches. The YEEP consisted of the successful implementation of the hybrid approaches to
climate change adaptation; the government,
through its top-down approach, developed the
project and mobilised financial resources through
a grant from the AfDB. The technical services
were employed through the LKC and NAYCOM
PIU involved in the overall management of the
project as well as ensuring PIs collaborate in the
delivery of the courses as well as in monitoring
and evaluation. From a bottom-up perspective,
PIs committed themselves to deliver the training
in their institutions. The consortium agreed to
provide financial resources and tools to PIs to
support the delivery of the courses. Due to delays,
the Youth Commissioner stepped in and provided
the leadership necessary to ensure the PIU put
measures in place to speed up the project approval
process. The officials of the AfDB offered tremendous support to the Youth Commissioner and
the YEEP team in Freetown to explore a way of
speeding up the project implementation process.
The YEEP demonstrated that the hybrid approach
is a logical approach to implement programmes
to build the resilience of young people to adapt to
climate change and other development calamities
(OECD 2013).
The high level of enthusiasm by PIs was
viewed as a significant factor for the success of
the project thus far. Some PIs provided resources
to support the implementation of the project such
as investing their resources in building and/or
refurbished facilities to implement the project;
Milton Margai College for Education and
Technology (MMCET) refurbished a building to
be dedicated as the E-travel lab to train students
in ICT and travel; the Government Technical
Institute (GTI) created a specific facility to train
students in the fabrication component of the
green construction skill programme; Njala
University mobilised extra-budgetary resources
for the expansion of their fishponds, introduction
of new species of fishes and improvements of
ovens and other facilities to enhance fish preservation techniques. Other outcomes include the
establishment of a national association for aquaculture in Sierra Leone. The plan is to launch the
National Aquaculture Association.
The project built partnerships with appropriate
governmental agencies including (a) NCTVA
who ensured endorsement and approval of the
new climate change adaptation for sustainable
development (CCA SD) curricula, (b) the Ministry
of Tourism who expanded training in the sustainable tourism to other rural and urban training
institutions, (c) the Ministry of Tertiary and
Higher Education who collaborated on the develThe Piloting of the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Project (YEEP) in Sierra Leone, West Africa
pletion of the deliverable for the respective stages
of the project, the YEEP was successful in delivering the outcomes to its beneficiaries.
Although climate change and other development challenges were not factored into the YEEP
project proposal, building the resilience of the
youth to adapt to climate change and other development calamities was a significant outcome of
the YEEP thus far. During the inception period of
the project, the consortium organised numerous
stakeholder consultations on the development
challenges concerning youth employment. The
impact of climate change and the mismatch in the
education provided to the youth by tertiary and
TVET institutions were significant concerns of
the youth, employers and policymakers. The decision was taken by the consortium to work with
NCTVA to develop curricula and training manuals to reflect these concerns. These documents are
currently with the NCTVA for their final approval.
A comprehensive ToT was implemented to train
senior managers, counsellors, lecturers, instructors, managers of TVET and tertiary institutions
on how to use the new curricula and training manuals. These activities resulted in a cadre of over
110 senior lectures, instructors and trainers trained
on the impact of climate change on developing
countries and strategies for the resilience building
of young people to adapt to climate change within
the three skills and trades. The modified climate
change-centric curriculum makes Sierra Leone
the first country in West Africa with developed
curricula and trained instructors ready to deliver
Climate Change Education for Sustainable
Development to youth at tertiary and TVET levels
in the education system (ILO 2010; UNESCO
2015; UNDP 2015).
Another major success of the project is piloting the hybridisation of top-down and bottom-up
approaches. The YEEP consisted of the successful implementation of the hybrid approaches to
climate change adaptation; the government,
through its top-down approach, developed the
project and mobilised financial resources through
a grant from the AfDB. The technical services
were employed through the LKC and NAYCOM
PIU involved in the overall management of the
project as well as ensuring PIs collaborate in the
delivery of the courses as well as in monitoring
and evaluation. From a bottom-up perspective,
PIs committed themselves to deliver the training
in their institutions. The consortium agreed to
provide financial resources and tools to PIs to
support the delivery of the courses. Due to delays,
the Youth Commissioner stepped in and provided
the leadership necessary to ensure the PIU put
measures in place to speed up the project approval
process. The officials of the AfDB offered tremendous support to the Youth Commissioner and
the YEEP team in Freetown to explore a way of
speeding up the project implementation process.
The YEEP demonstrated that the hybrid approach
is a logical approach to implement programmes
to build the resilience of young people to adapt to
climate change and other development calamities
(OECD 2013).
The high level of enthusiasm by PIs was
viewed as a significant factor for the success of
the project thus far. Some PIs provided resources
to support the implementation of the project such
as investing their resources in building and/or
refurbished facilities to implement the project;
Milton Margai College for Education and
Technology (MMCET) refurbished a building to
be dedicated as the E-travel lab to train students
in ICT and travel; the Government Technical
Institute (GTI) created a specific facility to train
students in the fabrication component of the
green construction skill programme; Njala
University mobilised extra-budgetary resources
for the expansion of their fishponds, introduction
of new species of fishes and improvements of
ovens and other facilities to enhance fish preservation techniques. Other outcomes include the
establishment of a national association for aquaculture in Sierra Leone. The plan is to launch the
National Aquaculture Association.
The project built partnerships with appropriate
governmental agencies including (a) NCTVA
who ensured endorsement and approval of the
new climate change adaptation for sustainable
development (CCA SD) curricula, (b) the Ministry
of Tourism who expanded training in the sustainable tourism to other rural and urban training
institutions, (c) the Ministry of Tertiary and
Higher Education who collaborated on the develThe Piloting of the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Project (YEEP) in Sierra Leone, West Africa