Minister Wurie: Industry Collaboration Key to Solving Youth Unemployment

Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, has urged African governments to fundamentally redesign education systems to better align with the demands of the labour market, positioning industry collaboration as the primary solution to youth unemployment across the continent.

Dr. Wurie made the call during the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, where she joined a high-level panel titled “Powering Dignified and Fulfilling Work at Scale: Leadership Perspectives.” The summit focused on strategies to create meaningful employment for Africa’s rapidly growing youth population.

When asked to identify the most critical reform for improving the transition from education to employment, Dr. Wurie succinctly summarized the imperative: “Skills. Industry. Industry.” She argued that the future of education lies in shifting away from simply preparing graduates for existing roles and toward a collaborative model where employers help co-create skills.

“The labour market is constantly evolving, and our education systems must evolve with it,” Dr. Wurie stated. “Industry should not merely employ graduates; it must help train them by influencing curriculum development and providing real workplace experience that creates a direct pathway to meaningful employment.”

The Minister highlighted Sierra Leone’s ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the workforce. Key initiatives include the government’s flagship Dual Apprenticeship Policy, which blends structured academic instruction with practical on-the-job training. She also pointed to demand-driven curriculum reviews and the recognition of prior learning, a mechanism designed to help workers in the informal sector obtain nationally recognized qualifications.

Beyond technical expertise, Dr. Wurie emphasized that the modern African workforce must possess critical soft skills—including communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship—to remain competitive in a technology-driven global economy.

Addressing policymakers, education stakeholders, and development partners, Dr. Wurie warned against fragmented approaches to human capital development. “We cannot afford to work in silos,” she said, urging stronger coordination among governments, private industry, and higher education institutions. She also called for sustainable financing for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), describing it as a vital driver of industrialization and economic resilience.

“What we value, we invest in,” she added, encouraging African governments to deepen partnerships with the private sector to ensure that investments in education translate into tangible employment opportunities.

For Sierra Leone, the Minister’s participation in the Kigali Summit underscores the nation’s commitment to its Human Capital Development Agenda, which prioritizes education reform and youth empowerment as core pillars for sustainable economic growth. Experts hope that by aligning education with labour market realities, countries can better harness their youth demographic, moving from a challenge of unemployment to a driver of national productivity.