Gov’t Launches National Career Fest to Link Students With Jobs, Skills, and National Development

By Seedy Jobe

The Tertiary and Higher Education Trust Fund (THET Fund), under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, on Saturday launched the inaugural National Career Fest 2026, an initiative aimed at helping young Gambians make informed career choices while strengthening the connection between education, employment, and national development.

Held under the theme “Becoming: From Education to Limitless Opportunity,” the event brought together senior government officials, students, universities, employers, entrepreneurs, development partners, and policymakers to explore pathways that better prepare young people for the workforce.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, Prof. Pierre Gomez, described the Career Fest as a reflection of the government’s commitment to investing in young people, whom he called the country’s greatest asset.

He said the THET Fund was established as a sustainable mechanism to strengthen tertiary education institutions and enhance their contribution to national development.

“The purpose of today’s Career Fest is simple but profound. It is about helping our young people discover possibilities they may never have imagined,” Prof. Gomez said.

He explained that the event provides students with opportunities to engage directly with universities, employers, mentors, and innovators while helping them answer what he described as a critical question: “What can I become when I complete my studies?”

According to the minister, the initiative will expose students to a wide range of career pathways, scholarships, professional training opportunities, and networks that can shape their future careers. He also credited President Adama Barrow for prioritizing education and youth empowerment as key pillars of the government’s development agenda.

Prof. Gomez commended employers, development partners, and other stakeholders for supporting internship placements, apprenticeship schemes, mentorship programmes, and graduate employment initiatives.

He stressed that preparing young people for the future requires close collaboration between government, educational institutions, industry, and development partners.

The minister also praised the THET Fund Governing Board and management for establishing the National Career Fest and urged them to institutionalize it as an annual platform that will continue to inspire young Gambians, bridge the gap between education and employment, and help build a highly skilled workforce capable of driving the country’s socio-economic transformation.

Also speaking at the event, Gambia Revenue Authority Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe told students that education is the foundation upon which national transformation is built.

“Education is not the destination. Education is the beginning of the journey. It is the bridge between who we are today and who we become tomorrow,” Darboe said.

He noted that Africa’s youthful population presents a significant opportunity for economic growth, pointing out that more than 60 percent of the continent’s population is under the age of 25.

According to him, strategic investments in education, skills development, innovation, and entrepreneurship can transform that demographic advantage into sustained economic growth and employment.

Darboe, however, cautioned that the continent’s growing youth population could either become a demographic dividend or a major challenge, depending on the investments governments make today.

He also highlighted the relationship between youth empowerment and revenue generation, explaining that tax revenues finance essential public services, including education, healthcare, infrastructure and scholarships.

“Paying tax is not merely a legal obligation. It is an act of patriotism and nation building,” he said.

Darboe added that young people who secure employment, establish businesses, or develop innovations ultimately strengthen the country’s economy and expand its revenue base.

He said the National Career Fest forms part of broader efforts to ensure that education translates into employability, innovation, and meaningful participation in The Gambia’s national development.