Sixty Youths Begin Training to Earn Through Digital Freelancing Opportunities
Sixty young Sierra Leoneans have begun a four-week digital freelancing training programme aimed at equipping them with the skills needed to access online employment opportunities.
The third cohort of the Learn2Earn programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation in collaboration with UNICEF Sierra Leone and the International Trade Centre under the KOICA Ready Salone Project.
The selected participants began the programme with an orientation session at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown. They include university students, working young people and participants from across the provinces.
During the training, participants will develop digital and professional skills, learn how to navigate freelance platforms and prepare to compete for online jobs with clients in Sierra Leone and abroad.
The programme also features weekly paid assignments, known as “bounties,” which allow participants to apply their skills to practical tasks and earn money upon successful completion.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Stevenson K. Kamanda, said the programme was designed to help participants move beyond acquiring skills to earning through digital work.
“You were not selected just to start training; you were selected to start earning. When you are skilled and connected, your talent is not limited by where you live,” Kamanda said.
Women account for more than half of the participants in the third cohort, which brings together young people from diverse educational and professional backgrounds.
The latest cohort builds on the experience of previous participants. During the second cohort, 30 of the 60 participants won six competitive bounty challenges, applying their skills to practical assignments. Some former participants have also pursued freelance opportunities with international clients.
Learn2Earn forms part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s Youth Employment Scheme, which aims to create 500,000 jobs for young people by 2030. As part of the broader initiative, the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation is working towards supporting the creation of 65,000 jobs in the technology and innovation sector.
The programme is expected to strengthen participants’ practical digital skills and improve their readiness to pursue online freelancing opportunities.
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