By Edwina Bawoh

On August 12, 2026, the Government and United Nations partners launched the Youth Employment Portal during Sierra Leone’s International Youth Day commemoration.

The Government of Sierra Leone has responded to the challenge through the Youth Employment Scheme (YES), an initiative designed to create 500,000 new jobs for the young population across the public and private sectors by 2030. and a portal platform intended to allow young people to create professional profiles, showcase their skills, access employment opportunities and connect with employers.

The scheme shapes part of the Government’s Game Changers and being presented as an effort not to only create employment but to also prepare young people for a changing economy by providing them with tools, opportunities and skills towards productive livelihoods.

With more than 70 percent of Sierra Leone’s population under the age of 35, the nation is full of potentials, but for far too long unemployment have scarped the dreams of these youths, and for many young Sierra Leoneans, welcoming adulthood does not necessarily mean entering the workforce. Unemployment and underemployment continue to create uncertainty for young people seeking to build independent lives and contribute to national development.

The Government’s 500,000-job target is intended to address this gap by expanding employment opportunities across both public and private sectors.  The initiative comes at a time when youth unemployment and underemployment are seen as issues of affecting not only individual livelihoods but also the country’s economic productivity. The youth unemployment scheme, describes unemployment and underemployment as factors that have contributed to vulnerability of a poverty, migration and crime.

The world of work is swiftly changing with technology, entrepreneurship, digital skills and new forms of employment creating opportunities that did not exist in previous generations. For Sierra Leone, preparing young people for these changes will be important if the country is to make full use of its youthful population

The scale of the employment challenge is significant according to government, more than 120,000 young people enter Sierra Leone’s labour force every year, while the formal economy is able to absorb only a fraction of them.

Creating 500,000 employment pathways over the coming years will require more than announcing a target. It will sustain opportunities across sectors capable of absorbing young people and allowing them to remain economically productive. The Government views youth employment as more than an economic issue. It presents the launch program as part of a broader effort to give young people a greater role in Sierra Leone’s development.

The program’s stated objective goes beyond reducing unemployment. It seeks to restore confidence among young people by giving them opportunities to participate in the country’s development.

The scheme is built around how young people should not just sit and wait for employment but should become contributors to innovation, productivity and national renewal.

Employment can provide professional experience, allow young people to develop additional skills and help them become economically independent.

If businesses expand, new positions and chances can be created for young people entering the labour force. Entrepreneurship can also provide another pathway, particularly for young people who may not find immediate formal employment after graduation

For a young person who has spent years acquiring an education or learning a skill but remains without employment, access to a genuine opportunity can have consequences far beyond a monthly income.

Micheal Johnson a 2025 graduate student from a prestigious college with first class degree from political science expresses “This Program will be a blessing not only to youths’ unemployment situation but also to graduates, especially now that occupations in the world of work is scarce”

Educational institutions need to prepare young people with skills relevant to the changing economy. Businesses need an environment that encourages investment and employment. Young people need opportunities to acquire practical and entrepreneurial skills that can complement formal education.

Agness Bangura a youth with no current stable job said” It’s a good thing that the government is considering youth unemployment issues and I pray it come to pass on the due date because, there’s no job and job creating which can lead to everybody being boss which is not entirely nice will soon take over if care not taken”

For the country’s young population, the promise of 500,000 pathways represents an opportunity to turn economic pressure into economic potential. As Sierra Leone moves towards 2030, the question will be whether the Youth Employment Scheme can translate its ambitious vision into real opportunities for the young people who need them most. Obtaining that ambition will require the 500,000 target to be translated into opportunities and that young people can access and sustain.

When young people cannot find suitable jobs, their skills and potentials l may remain underused. For families, youths been unemployment for so long can increase financial pressure, while young people themselves may struggle to achieve independence and pursue their aspirations.

There will be a need for transparency and accountability in the implementation of the scheme, as young people will want to know how opportunities are advertised, who qualifies, how beneficiaries are selected and what happens after they enter employment or training programs.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 31st August 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)