By Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo
November 1, 2026
On a recent flight, I met a young foreign professional travelling to Liberia to supervise a railway corridor. He is a railway maintenance engineer. As we discussed his specialized training, I reflected on the connection between his qualifications and an employment opportunity in our country.
The gentleman was a foreigner coming to Liberia to work. His journey raised important questions: How many Liberians are being prepared for such opportunities? How many already have the necessary qualifications but remain unknown to employers? How can investment generate more jobs and business opportunities for our citizens?
Liberia needs a coordinated strategy that creates employment, identifies existing and emerging jobs, and connects qualified Liberians to them. I propose a National Job Board, supported by a skills database and employment services, to help translate investment and training into productive work.
Create employment through investment and enterprise
A job board cannot create employment simply by listing vacancies. Job creation requires productive businesses, investment, reliable infrastructure and an environment in which enterprises can grow.
The proposed Board should work with investment agencies, employers and procurement institutions to identify employment and supplier opportunities associated with major projects. A railway, for example, needs engineers and technicians, but also maintenance contractors, transport, catering, accommodation and safety equipment.
Publishing these requirements early would help Liberian businesses prepare, compete for contracts and employ additional workers. Business support should connect entrepreneurs to actual buyers, finance and appropriate training. Encouraging self-employment without identifying a market is insufficient.
Public investment should also include workforce planning. When we plan roads, hospitals, power systems or agricultural projects, we should identify the people and enterprises needed to build, operate and maintain them.
Identify jobs and the skills they require
The Board should build on the Ministry of Labour’s National Bureau of Employment, strengthening existing services rather than duplicating them. Employers, training institutions, government and workers should participate, with a professional secretariat coordinating implementation.
Its first task should be to establish where jobs exist, what employers require and which opportunities are likely to emerge. Confirmed vacancies must be distinguished from forecasts so that anticipated investments are never presented as available jobs.
Sector plans should cover railways, agriculture, health, construction, energy, mining, tourism and environmental services. Employers should specify qualifications, practical experience, recruitment timelines and training needs.
Singapore’s Skills Frameworks offer a useful lesson: connect occupations and career pathways to the skills and training they require, with employers and education institutions involved. Liberia could adapt this approach to guide scholarships, technical education and university programmes toward demonstrated demand.
Find qualified Liberians and connect them to work
A national skills database should register Liberian professionals, technicians, artisans and other workers, including those abroad. It should record qualifications, verified competencies, experience, location and availability, while protecting personal information.
An experienced welder, mechanic or carpenter should be able to demonstrate competence through practical assessment, even without a formal certificate. Diaspora professionals could indicate interest in returning, undertaking temporary assignments or providing remote support and mentoring.
Employers would gain a credible means of finding qualified Liberians before concluding that overseas recruitment is necessary. Where international expertise is needed, structured mentoring and skills transfer should help Liberian counterparts acquire those capabilities.
The database must lead to action. Employment officers should match candidates to vacancies, assist with applications and follow up on placements. Recruitment should be competitive, transparent and based on competence.
Connect training to employment
Publicly supported specialized training should begin with a credible employment pathway. Before sending someone abroad, the sponsoring institution should identify the skills required, potential employers and how the returning professional’s expertise will be used. Where a job cannot be guaranteed, that uncertainty should be clear.
Germany’s dual vocational training system offers another lesson. Apprentices combine workplace learning with vocational education under training contracts and receive employer-paid allowances. Liberia could adapt this through paid apprenticeships with railway operators, workshops, farms, construction firms and other employers.
Singapore’s Career Conversion Programmes also demonstrate how employers can help train people for different roles. A Liberian pilot could support training where employers demonstrate vacancies and contribute resources. Success should be measured by sustained employment, not certificates alone.
Make opportunities accessible nationwide
Rwanda’s use of digital platforms for job matching, internships and labour market information provides a regional example. Liberia could develop a simple national gateway linking vacancies, apprenticeships, training and candidate profiles.
Access must extend beyond the internet. County employment desks, community radio, newspapers and SMS services could reach applicants across Liberia. Newspapers could earn revenue through optional recruitment advertising packages linked to the national platform, while basic access remains free to job seekers.
Start with results people can see
Implementation should begin with a few sectors where employers can demonstrate demand. The Board should publish quarterly figures on verified vacancies, referrals, placements, apprenticeship completions and employment retention. Complaints procedures and independent oversight should guard against favoritism. Nobody should pay to be shortlisted.
My encounter with the foreign railway engineer illustrates how specialized skills can connect someone to an opportunity across borders. Liberia should welcome useful expertise while deliberately preparing and connecting its own people to work.
Our task is to create more opportunities, know where they are and ensure qualified Liberians can reach them. That connection must become a central part of national development planning.
