The Ministry of Labour (MOL) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) have launched a strategic collaboration to increase employment opportunities for young people.
The first inter-ministerial meeting on job creation between the two ministries was held in Monrovia. It brought together senior officials, including ministers, deputy ministers, assistant ministers, and technical staff from both institutions.
Labour Minister, Cooper W. Kruah, described the gathering as the beginning of a coordinated effort to assess workforce challenges, and develop practical strategies to address unemployment and promote job creation.
Kruah said, the collaboration will focus on identifying government initiatives and public-private sector partnerships that can create sustainable employment opportunities.
He said, discussions will center on encouraging businesses to hire and train Liberian youth, leverage local resources, and explore international development grants and investment opportunities.
Kruah further stated that the partnership seeks to align the Ministry of Labour’s employment programs with the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ youth development initiatives.
The program includes the Government Vacation Job Program for young people.
Kruah: “The Ministry of Labour has set ambitious employment targets for the year, and through this collaboration, job opportunities identified by the ministry can be referred to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for placement, thereby increasing access to employment for young Liberians.”
Minister of Youth and Sports, Corlinia Kruah, welcomed the initiative, and emphasized the importance of the historic relationship between the two ministries.
She noted that the founders of these institutions envisioned strong coordination between the labor market and the nation’s youthful workforce.
Madam Kruah said, approximately 70 percent of Liberia’s population is under the age of 35, while those between 15 and 35 years constitute about 43 percent of the population.
As such, she said, young people represent the majority of the workforce, and must remain at the center of employment and economic development policies.
Madam Kruah also underscored the importance of strengthening Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programs.
She said, such initiatives complement the Ministry of Labour’s efforts to enhance workforce development and employability.
While acknowledging numerous government interventions to create opportunities for young people, Madam Kruah observed that many of these programs remain fragmented and uncoordinated, resulting in duplication of efforts across government ministries, agencies, and state-owned enterprises.
She called for the consolidation of vacation job programs and other youth employment initiatives under a coordinated framework. Such an approach, she said, would enable the government to accurately measure and report the number of jobs created for young people annually.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment by both ministries to work closely together in advancing youth employment, workforce development, and economic empowerment initiatives throughout the country.