On 18th and 20th December, a total of 100 youth graduated from a pilot vocational training program implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Aimed at equipping young Gambians with the skills to engage in entrepreneurial ventures or seek employment, the program forms part of a project aimed at providing viable alternatives to irregular migration funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
Lasting 6 to 12 weeks each, the courses will see 50 young men and 50 young women learn both technical and entrepreneurial skills, including business administration, financial management and customer service.
Four separate courses were held at the Gambia Telecommunications and Multimedia Institute (GTMI): satellite installation and laptop repairs in the West Coast Region; and solar panel installation and mobile phone repairs in the Upper River Region.
The program was designed after a baseline assessment to identify market gaps, demands and opportunities in the West Coast and Upper River Regions – which represent the first and third highest, respectively, origin of Gambian migrants. While laptops and satellites are more widely used in the peri-urban West Coast Region, the demand for mobile phone repairs and solar panels was higher in the Upper River Region.
Each of the students received a toolbox to enhance their ability to engage in income-generating activities. In addition, IOM will establish a revolving micro-credit fund which the students who develop viable business proposals after the training will have the opportunity to access. IOM is in the process of establishing a similar program in the North Bank Region