Youth Employment Scheme

Creating 500,000 Pathways to Dignity, Purpose, and Prosperity for Young People

With over 70% of Sierra Leone’s population under the age of 35, the nation is young—and full of potential. But for too long, unemployment and underemployment have stifled the dreams of youth, weakened national productivity, and left many vulnerable to poverty, migration, and crime.

The Youth Employment Scheme (YES) is the Government’s bold response to this challenge. Under the Big Five Game Changers, YES is designed to create 500,000 new jobs for young people across public and private sectors by 2030. But it’s not just about jobs—it’s about preparing youth to thrive in a changing economy and giving them the tools, opportunities, and dignity they need to build their lives and lead their nation forward.

THE PRESIDENT'S VISION

Sierra Leone’s demographic window of opportunity is narrowing. Each year, over 120,000 young people enter the labor force, but the formal economy can only absorb a fraction of them.

YES seeks to turn this challenge into an opportunity—by transforming young people into engines of innovation, productivity, and national renewal.

YES is about more than numbers. It’s about restoring faith, rebuilding opportunity, and placing young people where they belong—at the heart of Sierra Leone’s development journey.

Creating jobs for our youth is not charity—it is strategy. Their energy, creativity, and ambition are our greatest asset. The Youth Employment Scheme will place young people at the center of nation-building and economic transformation.

Core Pillars Of YES

YES is built on five pillars, each targeting a major barrier or opportunity in youth employment.

General Employment Promotion

This pillar focuses on direct job creation in both public and private sectors.

Key actions

Public works programs (road maintenance, green jobs, agriculture, sanitation)
Support for SMEs and local enterprises to absorb youth workers
Tax incentives for companies hiring youth and graduates
Job placement programs through national labor platforms

Outcome: Immediate income generation and job access for thousands of young people across districts.

Skills Development and Employability

Many young people are educated but not employable. Others lack basic or digital skills.

Key actions

Outcome: A skilled youth workforce aligned with market needs.

Youth Agribusiness & Rural Employment

Agriculture is still Sierra Leone’s largest employment sector—but young people are disengaged.

Key actions

Outcome: Revitalized rural economies led by young agri-entrepreneurs.

Creative Industries, Sports & Culture

Youth energy goes beyond the office or farm. Creative, sports, and cultural industries are rising global job creators.

Key actions

Outcome: New industries led by Sierra Leone’s most expressive and passionate youth.

Migration, Drug Abuse & Youth Protection

Unemployment is a root cause of irregular migration, drug abuse, and crime. This pillar is about prevention and protection.

Key actions

Outcome: Safer communities and restored hope among vulnerable youth.

Youth are not Sierra Leone’s problem—they are our power.

This is a time for action, not apathy. For investment, not neglect. With the Youth Employment Scheme, we are investing in 500,000 futures—and in one national destiny.