Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has officially launched the National Cadet Program in Bong County.
Ngafuan described the event as the initiative as a major investment in youth empowerment, skills development, and employment creation.
The ceremony, held in Gbarnga, was organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
It brought together government officials, students, and young graduates eager to benefit from the program. Ngafuan informed the audience that the National Cadet Program will provide more than 1,000 university graduates, and graduating seniors with six months of practical professional training in government institutions and private companies.
The initiative, Mr. Ngafuan said, is intended to bridge the gap between classroom education, and the job market by equipping young Liberians with practical workplace experience and professional skills. “This program is about creating opportunities for young Liberians to gain hands-on experience and prepare themselves for the future workforce.”
Ngafuan said, the initiative supports the vision of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to promote youth empowerment and inclusive national development.
He commended Youth and Sports Minister Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah, and her team for a strategic effort to strengthen human resource capacity. On his personal journey, Ngafuan recounted his internship experience at the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company in 1988 while attending Booker Washington Institute. He said the experience provided practical knowledge that later contributed to his professional growth. Ngafuan further said, the cadet initiative forms part of several youth-centered programs being implemented under the Boakai administration, including the proposed US$18 million Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank to support youth-owned businesses and generate employment opportunities nationwide. He highlighted Liberia’s successful bid to host the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Center, adding: “The development will create additional opportunities for Liberian youth.” He urged institutions hosting cadets under the program to consider offering permanent employment to outstanding participants upon completion of their assignments.
“We pose absolutely no objection to employing exceptional young people, who complete these programs, because our greater intention is to leave no one behind.”