Sierra Leone has one of the world’s youngest populations: More than two-thirds of the nation is under 30.
That brings enormous opportunities for growth. But because Sierra Leone is still recovering from its civil war, young people struggle to find enough work to make a living.
READY Salone is the International Trade Centre’s answer to this challenge. Its new Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) Fund finances training for young people to find jobs, including online work that lets them provide services to clients to other countries while working in Sierra Leone.
This training is a pathway to opportunities I did not have before. It gives me hope to support my family and build a better life.
Mohamed Lamin Jalloh
As much as 70% of youth are unemployed in Sierra Leone, one of the world’s least developed countries. The country can’t create enough jobs for all of them, with a small industrial base and few opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Digital and technical skills give young people a way to work both locally and internationally, including through online platforms that allow them to earn an income even when jobs are scarce at home.
By linking training directly to employment outcomes, the SKYE Fund provides a practical and innovative solution to this challenge.
The Fund partners with top-class training institutions to offer practical courses in skills that are in high demand.
The institutions receive financial support to deliver the trainings, with funding tied to results: at least half of trainees must move into jobs, internships or self-employment.
Even in the project’s early stages, trainees are gaining confidence and skills. Theresa Issa, a woman living with a disability at Transit College, said:
“Learning computer skills has given me confidence and opened opportunities I never imagined. I feel ready to apply these skills to improve my future.”
Mohamed Lamin Jalloh added:
“This training is a pathway to opportunities I did not have before. It gives me hope to support my family and build a better life.”
Learning computer skills has given me confidence and opened opportunities I never imagined. I feel ready to apply these skills to improve my future.
Theresa Issa
In the first cycle of the SkYE Fund, 426 young people are undertaking six-month courses to gain certification in:
- Basic computer skills
- Digital skills
- Diploma in smart agriculture with solar technology and ICT Tools
- Diploma in graphic design and digital content creation
- National diploma in advanced digital literacy
- Certificate in large business ICT professional skills
Sustainability and inclusion are core to the SkYE Fund. The institutions will receive ‘Training of Trainers’ sessions, so that instructors learn how to teach these high-quality digital and technical skills beyond this cycle.
The programme also prioritizes equitable access, with more than 85% of trainees from outside the capital Freetown and 40% women. One partner, the Education Centre for the Blind, focuses on supporting youth with disabilities as well as the broader population, ensuring that training reaches people who are often excluded from skills programmes.
SkYE Fund launch events took place from 25 to 28 November 2025 in three towns around the country: at Youth in Action for Development in Kenema, Central University in Mile 91, and Transit College in Magburaka. Launches also took place in Freetown on 5 and 11 December at The Education Centre for the Blind and Limkokwing University.
November 2025, Kenema, Sierra Leone – Youth in Action for Development hosted a launch for the SkYE Fund. The first group of youth to go through the training programme are already saying that they’re seeing opportunities that they’d never imagined.
11 December 2025, Freetown, Sierra Leone – At one of the launches in the capital, trainees and staff from ITC and Limkokwing University showcased how SkYE Fund provides skills that help young people find meaningful work.
November 2025, Kenema, Sierra Leone – At the training centre for Youth in Action for Development, students have space to learn digital skills that they can market online.
November 2025, Magburaka, Sierra Leone – READY Salone project manager Baboucarr Sallah met with young men at Transit College, where they’re among the first in their community to learn digital skills that connect them to global markets.
About the project
READY Salone is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and implemented by ITC in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone, including the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Communications, Technology and Innovation, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.