LERC Launches National Electricity Synergy
By Godgift Harris
The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), in collaboration with the ministries of Education and Youth and Sports, and the Agence Française de Development (IECD), has officially opened a weeklong national electricity curriculum synergy workshop.
The exercise is being hosted at the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Center for Professional Training, Research, and Innovation (TCPTRIA) on the Booker Washington Institute (BWI) Campus in Kakata, Margibi County.
The initiative represents the country first unified national approach for a specific trade, seeking to harmonize the multiple electricity curricula currently used in TVET institutions nationwide.
Over the course of five days, stakeholders from government ministries, TVET institutions, licensed service providers, civil society, curriculum developers, and industry partners will work to develop a single, nationally recognized electricity curriculum.
The completed curriculum will be submitted to the Ministry of Education (MoE) for approval and rolled out in TVET institutions.
Deputy Minister for Energy, Charles Umehai, hailed the workshop as a milestone in strengthening country’s technical capacity in the energy sector. Umehai underscored the importance of preparing a skilled workforce to meet both national and international standards with a particular focus on sustainable and decentralized energy solutions such as solar power. “The establishment of a unified and robust national electricity curriculum is not just timely, it is essential. It will be the cornerstone for quality assurance, safety, and reliability across electrical engineering and solar installation in the country,” Mr. Umehai said. On behalf of the LERC Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Amara M. Kamara spoke of the regulator role in creating clear and consistent frameworks that foster institutional growth and public trust. Kamara urged participants to take ownership of the process, noting that the curriculum will produce a qualified and accountable workforce aligned with both national priorities and global best practices. IECD Senior Program Manager, Patrick Adelphe N’Doman, described the workshop as a model that could be replicated in other trades such as construction and mechanics. N’Doman said the effort goes beyond harmonizing curricula by aligning the visions of ministries, regulators, training providers, and industry, thereby strengthening country’s skills development system. MoE’s Director for TVET, Patrick Anderson, commended LERC for initiating the harmonization process, calling it a “key step toward ensuring quality in the country electricity sector.” Anderson assured that the unified curriculum will equip learners with both theoretical and practical skills, enabling them to compete effectively at national and international levels.
The workshop will run throughout the week with the expectation that the final curriculum will raise professional standards, improve safety compliance, and boost public confidence in Liberia’s certified electricians.