With plans to offer training in multiple areas, including agriculture, auto mechanics, and electricity, the vocational school in Maryland County is open to all those seeking to acquire trade skills.
By Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland Count
School authorities in Maryland County have dedicated a modern Technical and Vocational Training Center (TVET), which is said to be an annex of Cape Palmas High School.
Authorities said the center, which will be built in Harper, will offer training in multiple areas, including Agriculture, Auto Mechanics, Electricity, Computer Science, Carpentry, Plumbing, and Masonry.
The vocational school is opened to all those seeking to acquire skills in trade in the county.
During the dedication exercise on Friday, 15 March 2024, several school administrators and students in Maryland County jointly paraded the principal streets of Harper City, celebrating the modern TVET facility.
Schools participating in the program were Sarah Elizabeth Gibson Elementary, Harper Demonstration School, Yoà kpê Foundation High School, John Hillary High School, E. Othello Gongar School, and Cape Palmas High School, among others.
Addressing the gathering in Lake Shepherd Community, Madam Annie Sleweon, principal of Cape Palmas High School, disclosed that the vocational school is an annex of Cape Palmas High School.
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She said that while her school has direct supervision over the TVET school, its doors are open to all the schools across Maryland, including people who are not in school but desire to learn a trade.
The Cape Palmas High School principal told county residents that vocational training services are not free like those at other institutions around the country.
She pointed out that the entrance registration for the trade school was scheduled to begin Monday, 18 March 2024, but Cape Palmas High School students are exempted from the entrance.
She explained further that the institution is not a come let go graduate institution.
“So, if there’s a mindset from citizens, they should change such plans,” Madam Sleweon warned.
The Cape Palmas High School (CPHS) principal lauded the school faculty and the public for allowing their children and students to participate in the dedication ceremony.
“Let me say to all of you [who] gather here today, this is a golden opportunity for our people, and we need to embrace it by encouraging our citizens to see this institution as our own,” she said.
The Youth Rising project aims to support TVET in Liberia, and it is funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The program is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO). Youth Rising aligns with Liberia’s National TVET policy.
The project contributes to youth employment by improving access to quality technical and vocational education and training for young men and women, promoting entrepreneurship, and connecting education with the private sector.
 The project objectives maintained that the Government of Liberia recognizes that the transition towards inclusive growth will not happen unless human capabilities are enhanced.
It further noted that the quality of education and vocational training are improved to match the demands of the labor market.
According to the CPHS principal, the aim and objectives of the Government of Liberia have taken progressive policy commitments to prioritize youth employment and the strengthening of labor market skills.
 She disclosed that the European Union has invested 25,250.00 EUR, while the Swedish Government contributed 55,000.00 SEK to the project’s construction from 1 September 2018 to 2024.
 The project will be a total relief to many county citizens, particularly high school dropouts and people who are not interested in tertiary education.
