The award ceremony, which was held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo, brought together several government officials, partners, and representatives from TVET institutions nationwide.
The main objective of the SIE fund is to enhance access to technical, innovative, and entrepreneurial skills for Gambian youth while improving the relevance and quality of TVET education in the country.
Speaking at the award ceremony, President Adama Barrow revealed that the SIE project launched in June 2024, was developed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST). He said the award ceremony was the outcome of the hard work and technical guidance of the launching ceremony.
President Barrow announced that the SIE fund is a component of the World Bank-funded Resilience, Inclusion, Skills, and Equity Project (RISE) which is an ongoing project implemented by MoHERST towards building a competent and skilful resource base for the socio-economic development of the country.
He noted that in part, the project also seeks to fulfil one of the targets in the Higher Education Sector Strategic Plan (2021–2025) and the Recovery Focused National Development Plan (2023 – 2027).
Through that component of the project, he explained that student beneficiaries will have the opportunity to be on scholarship and guided to adopt and utilise technical skills learned from the classroom to establish suitable business ventures.
“Basically, this is another massive transformative initiative, through which scholarship grants will be delivered to different public and private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across the country, principally targeting the youth and women”, he said.
“The project is in line with my government’s decentralisation and social inclusion drive. As planned, the awards will give much prominence to submissions into programmes that target widening access to TVET within the regions. By doing so, enrolment will increase for the physically challenged and other disadvantaged persons,” he added.
President Barrow described the awards ceremony as the result of a detailed technical evaluation and assessment exercise that ensured strict compliance with the criteria set for implementing Window Two (2) of the SIE Fund.
He informed that each scholarship involves paying four hundred dollars ($400) per student for tuition and stipends, with additional support for regional TVET centre students to cover transportation and accommodation expenses. This investment he said represents government’s commitment to nurturing the potential of youth and supporting their educational journeys.
The representative of the World Bank, Franklin Mutahakana, said that the SIE Fund Training Grants initiative is not just an investment in education and training but also an investment in the youth and the future of The Gambia.
“At the World Bank Group, we are committed to fostering human capital development, recognising that a nation’s greatest asset is its people. The Gambia, with 63.7% of its population under 25 years old, has a powerful opportunity before it, to transform its youth potential into economic prosperity” he assured.
Franklin highlighted that both public and private (TVET) providers have been included, by ensuring equitable access to skills training across urban and rural areas. “This inclusivity” he said, is critical to bridging socio-economic divides and ensuring that young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to thrive.
He applauded the government of The Gambia for placing gender equality at the heart of this initiative, with a target of at least 50% of beneficiaries being women while he encouraged young women to pursue careers across all sectors, breaking barriers and contributing to a more equitable workforce.
Prof. Pierre Gomez, the minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, in his remarks, mentioned that his ministry seeks the need to come up with a system that will help and support the youth, and to also minimise educational challenges.
“No country develops without the skill set and a high skill citizenry. Thus, the government under the leadership of President Adama Barrow is giving the youth the opportunity with unfolding developments,” he affirmed.
Prof. Gomez said that 2025 is a year of delivery and a year of human capital development, while thanking the cabinet ministers, stakeholders and the World Bank for being a true partner in supporting sustainable development.
He noted that educating the youth “means you are liberating them and giving them the opportunity to stand for today and tomorrow so that they will be in charge of their development”.
He urged the student beneficiaries to make best use of the opportunity while promising government additional support.
