Apprenticeship in Sierra Leone

Informal or traditional apprenticeship is the most widely used way to acquire practical skills in Sierra Leone. The apprentice learns by working alongside a master craftsperson, often in a workshop, business, agricultural setting or artisanal trade. The arrangement may be organised through family ties, local custom or an agreement with the craftsperson, and it has no single national curriculum, standard duration, examination or national certificate. Formal apprenticeship and technical and vocational education and training are more structured. Public technical institutes, accredited private providers, polytechnics, universities of science and technology, companies, workshops, community centres, artisanal centres, enterprise-training programmes and rural agricultural training centres can provide learning. Technical and vocational education after junior secondary school commonly lasts three years as an alternative to senior secondary school. Other pathways include National Technical Certificates, National Vocational Certificates, Advanced National Vocational Certificates, National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas. Formal programmes combine theory and practical work and may use competency-based education and training curricula. The formal dual model links a company with a technical and vocational education and training institution. About 70% of learning takes place at the workplace and 30% at the institution. The pilot focus includes agriculture and agribusiness, mining, construction, manufacturing, energy and electricity, tourism, information and communications technology, electrical work, automotive work and process engineering. The pilot was designed for five years, with a target of 1,000 apprentices from public technical and vocational education institutions and higher-education institutions and participation from at least four technical and vocational education institutions. Nationwide implementation has not been established. Access depends on the pathway and trade. A formal dual apprentice generally needs to be older than 14 and no older than 35. Hazardous trades require an age of at least 18. The trade must be a government-designated trade listed through the relevant official process, and education or physical-fitness requirements may apply. Informal apprenticeship has lower entry barriers and usually depends on the agreement of the master craftsperson, parent, guardian or relative. Sierra Leone has no single national placement or selection portal for all apprenticeships. The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and its Directorate of Technical and Vocational Education and Training oversee the sector. The National Council for Technical and Vocational Education under the 2025 Act covers accreditation, validation, examination and certification across formal, non-formal and informal sectors. The Commissioner of Labour and Employment is relevant to labour and apprenticeship agreements. A 2023 sector information system reported 245 institutes, but that figure comes from project or survey reporting rather than a current complete national census. Informal arrangements should set out the trade, training period, duties and support in writing where possible. The craftsperson is responsible for instruction, supervision, a safe and healthy environment, moral care and protection of the apprentice's best interests. The craftsperson must address training-related harm and provide food unless the parties agree otherwise. A parent, guardian or relative may provide protective clothing and basic tools, while shelter may be provided by the craftsperson. The allowance is at least 50% of the national minimum daily wage. Apprentices are expected to attend, follow lawful instructions, protect property and avoid absence without permission. A written agreement must not involve a child-rights-violating induction ceremony. Commissioner vetting and attestation apply to the relevant apprenticeship agreement, and completion should result in a certificate of release; refusing that certificate can be an offence. A formal dual apprenticeship requires a registered apprentice, a recognised company or provider and a written agreement. The employer must be a legal entity in Sierra Leone and meet registration requirements involving the Corporate Affairs Commission, the National Revenue Authority and the National Social Security and Insurance Trust. Registration can produce a Certificate of Apprenticeship, while meeting the programme requirements can produce a Certificate of Completion. A two-stage grievance mechanism is available, and training time may be transferable when an employer causes an interruption. Assessment and recognition are changing. The 2025 Act provides a framework for formal, non-formal and informal certification, while National Vocational Qualification remains transition terminology from the 2023 Education Act. A 2026 National Qualifications Framework has ten academic, technical and vocational, and micro-credential levels. Policies for credit transfer and recognition of prior learning were still being finalised, so an informal certificate does not automatically provide the same recognition as a national qualification. Costs vary by provider and arrangement. Sierra Leone has no consolidated nationwide technical and vocational education fee schedule or universal free technical and vocational education entitlement established in the available evidence. Informal apprenticeships may require families to provide tools or protective clothing, while food, shelter and allowances may be arranged with the craftsperson. Public funds, development partners, employers and the Skills Development Fund support parts of the sector. The Technical Education Fund is financed through a 1% goods and services tax allocation, according to World Bank project reporting. Short competency programmes and formal technical and vocational education can provide alternatives for adults seeking a first vocational qualification later in life, while national reforms aim to recognise skills gained through apprenticeships and informal learning.