By: Julius Konton
Liberia’s new Minister of Youth and Sports, Cornelia Kruah, has placed technical and vocational education at the center of her policy agenda, beginning with a high-level assessment visit to the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC), one of the country’s most prominent skills-development institutions.
The visit signals a renewed government push to confront persistently high youth unemployment by strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), a sector widely regarded by economists as vital to Liberia’s post-conflict recovery and long-term economic growth.
A Strategic Shift Toward Skills-Based Education
Liberia faces a demographic challenge that is also an opportunity.
More than 60 percent of the population is under the age of 25, according to national labor estimates, yet unemployment and underemployment among young people remain stubbornly high.
Analysts say weak school-to-work transitions and limited access to practical skills training have compounded the problem.
Against this backdrop, Minister Kruah’s early focus on vocational education reflects a broader policy shift away from an overreliance on traditional academic pathways.
“Many young Liberians are not inclined toward conventional academic education,” Kruah said during the tour.
“It is therefore the responsibility of government to ensure that vocational institutions are affordable, relevant, and capable of producing job-ready graduates.”
Reducing Costs, Improving Retention
During the assessment, the minister and her delegation examined measures to lower tuition and related fees, improve student retention, and expand enrollment to full operational capacity.
Discussions also centered on aligning curricula with labor market needs, particularly in sectors facing chronic shortages of skilled workers.
MVTC currently offers training in 13 trade areas, including construction, electrical installation, automotive mechanics, tailoring, welding, plumbing, and information technology fields considered critical to infrastructure development and private-sector growth.
High Dropout Rates Undermine Impact
Despite its strategic role, MVTC has struggled to reach its potential.
Addressing lawmakers during a recent appearance before the Liberian Senate, Minister Kruah disclosed that the institution’s student retention rate stands at just 50 percent, meaning one in every two students drops out before completing training.
Education specialists warn that such dropout levels erode public confidence in vocational education and weaken returns on government investment.
Enrollment Far Below Capacity
The dropout crisis has contributed to a stark enrollment gap. Although the center is designed to accommodate up to 3,000 students per training cycle, current enrollment is estimated at about 700 learners, representing less than 25 percent of capacity.
“This level of underutilization is alarming,” said a labor economist in Monrovia. “At a time when the country urgently needs skilled technicians, thousands of training spaces are sitting idle.”
An Unprecedented Ministerial Visit
For MVTC administrators, the visit itself marked a historic moment. Speaking to reporters, MVTC Director Wilfred Payne described the engagement as unprecedented.
“It has been more than ten years since a sitting Minister of Youth and Sports visited this institution,” Payne said. “This visit has reawakened us and renewed our commitment to do more.”
Payne outlined long-standing challenges facing the center, including institutional sustainability, teachers’ welfare, shortages of training materials, weak collaboration with government agencies and development partners, and aging infrastructure.
He also highlighted efforts to remove squatters from the front of the facility to create additional space for expanded programs and improve the center’s visibility and learning environment.
Toward a National Skills Strategy
Government officials say reforms under consideration extend beyond MVTC.
Proposed measures include tuition subsidies for vulnerable students, modernization of training equipment, public–private partnerships, and stronger job-placement and apprenticeship schemes to improve graduate employability.
Minister Kruah emphasized that revitalizing MVTC requires close coordination among government ministries, the private sector, and international development partners.
“This is not just about training,” she said. “It is about restoring confidence in vocational education as a dignified, practical, and profitable choice for Liberia’s youth.”
A Pivotal Moment
As Liberia pursues its national development goals, observers say the transformation of institutions like MVTC will be critical to turning the country’s youthful population into a productive economic force.
“If done right,” an education policy analyst noted, “vocational education could become one of Liberia’s most powerful tools for inclusive growth.”
For now, the government’s renewed attention has raised cautious optimism that Liberia’s flagship vocational training center may finally be positioned to fulfill its mandate training skilled workers, reducing unemployment, and driving sustainable development.
