Driving Change: New Automotive Centre of Excellence Powers Youth Employment in Sierra Leone
Written By Maxine Ansah
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FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – In a significant stride towards tackling youth unemployment, Sierra Leone has officially launched its first Centre of Excellence for Automotive Training, a state-of-the-art facility located at Freetown Polytechnic’s Kissy Campus. The Centre, inaugurated on 13 May 2025, is the result of a strategic collaboration between the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Government of Sierra Leone, and the Government of Japan.
This initiative forms a core component of the “Promoting Youth Employment through Automotive Maintenance Skills Training” project, implemented by UNIDO in partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and the Ministry of Youth Affairs. The project is generously funded by the Government of Japan, whose ongoing support for technical and vocational training across Africa continues to foster innovation and inclusive growth.
Addressing a Pressing Challenge
Youth unemployment remains a persistent challenge in Sierra Leone, where the growing mismatch between labour market demands and available skills has left many young people underemployed or out of work. The new Automotive Centre of Excellence aims to close this gap by offering practical, demand-driven training in automotive maintenance a sector experiencing increasing demand in Sierra Leone and the wider West African region.
Renovated to meet international standards, the facility is fully equipped with advanced automotive tools and technologies. Its signature programme a 40-module, 1,000-hour curriculum has been nationally accredited and designed in consultation with industry professionals. The curriculum blends hands-on training with entrepreneurship education, preparing graduates for both employment and self-employment in the automotive sector.
“This Centre represents a transformative opportunity for Sierra Leonean youth,” said Mariatu Abionor Swaray, UNIDO Country Representative, at the launch. “It brings together public and private sector collaboration to ensure that young people are trained in line with real industry needs, bridging the gap between education and employment.”
Leadership and International Support
The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior government officials and international dignitaries. Delivering the keynote address, the Hon. Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh reflected on the Centre’s origins, noting that it stemmed from a direct request made by President Julius Maada Bio during the 2019 Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).
“The Automotive Training Centre we inaugurate today exemplifies our government’s commitment to inclusion, shared prosperity, and human capital development empowering youth in Sierra Leone and beyond,” Sengeh stated.
Hiroshi Yoshimoto, Ambassador of Japan to Sierra Leone, reaffirmed Japan’s long-standing commitment to skills development as a driver of economic transformation. “Japan is honoured to support this initiative, which empowers young people and strengthens Sierra Leone’s capacity for economic transformation,” said Yoshimoto. “Skills development is the key to unlocking opportunity and creating new pathways to prosperity.”
Building Capacity and Creating Pathways
To ensure the sustainability and quality of the training, instructors and administrative staff have undergone rigorous capacity-building programmes both locally and internationally, including training in Ghana, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, and Italy. Beyond technical instruction, the Centre also houses a Career Centre offering job placement services, business coaching, and apprenticeships.
With the capacity to train 200 automotive mechanics and 200 entrepreneurs each year, the Centre aligns with Sierra Leone’s National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).
The Centre of Excellence is more than a training facility it is a vehicle for socio-economic transformation. By empowering young people with the skills they need to succeed in a competitive labour market, it promises to fuel not only Sierra Leone’s development but also the broader vision of a connected and industrialised Africa.
