Up-skilling and Employability

Young people often do not have the financial ability to access further education and skills training that would pave the way for them to develop into skilled employees working across Sierra Leone. For example, many employment opportunities require computer literacy skills but most Sierra Leoneans have not had the opportunity to learn and develop these skills. 

They are also unlikely to have the necessary experience to make the jump from education to formal employment, hampering their chances of securing a long term source of income for themselves.

Through our up-skilling and employability programme we support selected individuals to gain essential skills on their path to seeking employment. This includes:

  • Supporting them to attend and complete courses at the local vocational and higher education centres on courses ranging from catering and nursing to mechanical or electrical engineering.

  • IT training to provide and improve computer literacy skills

  • Employability skills workshop to teach key skills to young people that will empower them to seek formal employment upon graduating.

The team

MC, Up-skilling programmes coordinator

Success stories

Binta is 21, a single mother and an apprentice at the mechanics shop at the busy Shell Junction in Lunsar Town. Despite her passion for mechanics and hard work at the garage, without any qualifications or ability to gain further skills, she was stuck at the bottom of the ladder in terms of securing paid work at the garage. She had started her qualifications a few years back but had dropped out when her father died and she had no way to pay the school fees.

With Reseed’s support, Binta started a mechanical engineering certificate. Passing at top of her class in 2024, we extended her support and she is now pursuing her full mechanical engineering diploma whilst working at the garage in the afternoons and weekends, generating income to support herself and her daughter while studying.

Edward is a prime example of a young man turning is life around. When he lost his Father, already his only parent, Edward felt hopeless and turned to Kush, a cheap street drug sweeping across West Africa with devastating effects for many young boys. Our programmes Director Karim encouraged him to get clean and when he did, Reseed supported to go back to school.

He is now in the same plumbing class as another of our beneficiaries, Alusine. They both have exceptional attendance in class and passed their first mid term exams and practicals. Edward stops at the office nearly every day to check in and say Hi on his way back from school. He’s living with his Uncle and now has some stability back in his life.

Sponsor a young person to launch their career

If you donate £20 a month, you can support a young person like Edward to gain a vital qualification, launching them on their path to employment and a secure future. 

How you can support our work

Do you or your company have spare old laptops? 

We intend to continue building on our computer literacy programme and hire an IT officer locally within Sierra Leone to provide training courses to local communities. If you are able to donate your old laptops that you no longer use, we can put them to good use by making them a shared resource for people to learn essential computer skills. Get in touch by emailing us at: hi@reseed.org.uk