Nagbe wants Liberians take over labor market

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, has stressed a need for Liberians to be trained to be able to compete in the labor market.

He made the statement Wednesday when the Government of the People’s Republic of China formally turned over the newly constructed campus of the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) in Gardnersville, outside Monrovia.

The construction was executed by Shanxi Engineering Construction Group of China. The MVTC provides skills training in various disciplines, including masonry, plumbing, construction, electricity, among others.

Minister Nagbe said already, teachers are being trained in China to come and teach at the institution and other vocational training institutions across the country. He said government is determined to use the labor market to train people for the agriculture sector.

“We have Klay Agriculture Vocational Training Center (KAVTC) in Bomi County; this institution is dedicated to training farmers and potential employers, because all young people need to benefit from TVET not only in Monrovia”, he said.

According to the Minister, the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) is part of the Technical and Vocational Training Education (TVET) reform process to meet the needs of the youth of Liberia, who are in the majority.

He said government has plans to reopen the Vocation Training Center (VTC) in Nimba County. Nagbe added that in preparation to take over the MVTC after the Chinese leave in a space of one year, the ministry has sent 25 young people for training as part of China’s continuous support towards Liberia’s recovery.

Earlier, Chinese Ambassador accredited to Liberia, Zhang Yue, said the important lessons Chinese people have learned from history is that the destiny of a nation should and can only dwell on the shoulders of its people.

He said the building on the new campus is over 6,000 square meters long and contains a teacher’s dormitory, laboratory, administrative building and two dormitories for both boys and girls with a capacity to accommodate over 1000 students.

Ambassador Yue however cautioned that the MVTC project cannot be a success without the joint efforts of both countries and governments.  He said even in the face of the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014, Chinese contractors had duly fulfilled their duties by the contract, but they remained here, working with Liberian authorities to speed up the work.

By Sally Gaye