The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS), a fortnight ago began a training exercise to equip several data collectors to effectively conduct a national institutions capacity assessment of existing technical, vocational education and training (TVET) and skills development institutions nation-wide.

The training and assessment efforts are designed to be carried out on a regional basis, dividing the country into in four regions.

Region 1 comprises Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Gbarpolu Counties; Region 2 includes Margibi, Grand Bassa and Rivercess Counties; Lofa, Nimba and Bong Counties make up Region 3; while Grand Gedeh, Rivergee, Sinoe, Grand Kru and Maryland Counties constitute Region 4.

The first training session was conducted in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, from February 26 - 27 for data collectors responsible for region 1, who commenced work a day after the end of the training session.

The training and data collection programs are organized by MYS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), with funding from the Government of Liberia and United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The assessment is intended to determine the number and quality of available human resources, quality and quantity of instructional materials, curricula, number and quality of equipment, logistics and quality of infrastructure, among others.

The data gathered will produce baseline statistics and other relevant information for decision-making at all levels, including formulating a National Comprehensive Capacity Development Strategy for Liberia.

The following pictorial shows MYS Assistant Minister for TVET M. Boakai Jaleiba, Jr., Dr. David Kialain, National Coordinator of the Nation-wide TVET Capacity Assessment and Data Collectors' Training, and Ms. Olivia Shannon of MOE, among others making remarks during the launch of the training.

They stressed the need for participants of the exercise to take their training earnestly in order to produce the desired results.