The project “S.K.I.L.L.E.D – Strategic knowledge and inclusive lifelong learning in the health sector for youth employability and development”, implemented by CUAMM and funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, has officially kicked off in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Contributing to sustainable, inclusive and decent employment for skilled young people, in line with national policies and priorities: this is the ambitious goal of the initiative, which will be carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and important educational institutions, the University of Makeni, the University of Bologna, the Department of Anaesthesia and Resuscitation of the Sierra Leone University Teaching Hospital at Connaught Hospital, the “Joseph Berton” Technical and Vocational Institute, and the Saint Mary Home of Charity association, with the support of Mercy Ships.
4 are the districts involved in the intervention (Western Area, Bombali, Port Loko, Pujehun); 2,620 young people between the ages of 18 and 35 are involved. The intervention stems from CUAMM’s desire to respond to the shortage of qualified healthcare personnel and, at the same time, to promote a response to the high rate of youth unemployment in the country, particularly due to the lack of decent employment opportunities for young people.
The aim is to promote, in particular, equitable and inclusive access to university and technical-vocational training and to foster the development of job opportunities in the health sector and related services (supply chain), with a particular focus on the most vulnerable young people at risk of marginalisation.
“Education is the beginning and foundation of an inclusive, sustainable and high-quality health system. It is essential to invest continuously in strengthening the skills of healthcare personnel so that they can respond effectively to the needs of the population and contribute to the overall improvement of the system,” said Maria Valla, CUAMM project manager.
This need is also recognised as a priority by the Ministry of Health, which emphasises the value of the project as it is fully aligned with national policies on capacity building and human resource development in the healthcare sector.
“At a time when global, regional and local health issues require creative, innovative and ethical solutions, Catholic universities can also play their part in addressing these challenges by transferring knowledge through training, research and service provision, using and involving communities,” added the representative of the University of Makeni (Unimak). “It is essential to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable populations by ensuring access to quality healthcare through trained and qualified healthcare workers. Thanks to this collaboration, the Ministry of Health will have qualified and competent health professionals and technicians to improve services, while the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) will introduce new study programmes in line with the labour market and with a strong practical component. In addition, we will expand our academic offering by collaborating with international experts and expanding its partnerships,” he concluded.
Promoting and supporting the education of young people from and in the most vulnerable countries is the foundation of CUAMM’s commitment, which today continues in Sierra Leone with this project even more intensely, in a continuous exchange of knowledge and experience with local institutions and partners.
