By Seedy Jobe
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, has said the National Youth Service Scheme is helping young Gambians develop discipline, practical skills, and a clearer sense of direction as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Mr. Badjie spoke in an interview with QTV on Wednesday, a day after 245 new members of the NYSS were sworn in following a month-long orientation program.
“They leave there becoming more disciplined and more committed to what they’re doing, but also more focused in terms of what they want for themselves and for the country,” Mr. Badjie said.
The minister said participants are recruited from across the country with the involvement of local authorities before being brought to Bakau for a month of residential orientation.
The training, conducted with the support of the Gambia Armed Forces, includes drills, discipline, teamwork, health education, and other life skills. Mr. Badjie said the military-style component is intended to instill a sense of responsibility, patriotism, and cooperation among participants.
He said many young people enter the program with limited exposure to concepts such as teamwork and national service but show noticeable changes by the end of the orientation.
Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony marked the completion of that phase for the latest group of 245 participants. They will now be deployed to various institutions for two years of vocational and professional training in fields of their choice.
Mr. Badjie said the government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, covers the participants’ tuition and provides them with monthly stipends.
During the swearing-in ceremony, participants also take an oath pledging to uphold the values of the program and remain committed to serving the country, he said.
Mr. Badjie explained that the NYSS operates three programs designed for young people with different educational backgrounds.
The regular program, under which the latest group was recruited, generally requires participants to have completed Grade 12. They are placed at institutions including the University of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology; Gambia College; and the Institute of Hospitality, where they receive theoretical and practical training.
A second track, the apprenticeship program, is open to young people who have completed Grade 9 as well as those without formal schooling, including participants from madrassa backgrounds. They are attached to experienced craftspeople for two years of practical training.
The third, the Graduate Service Program, targets unemployed university graduates. Participants undergo orientation before being placed in one-year internships intended to provide work experience and improve their employment prospects.
Mr. Badjie said recruitment takes place annually on a rotational basis, with the regular program offered one year and the apprenticeship and graduate programs the next.
Participants can pursue training in information technology, carpentry, electrical and electronics work, hairdressing, agriculture, hospitality, hotel management, catering and welding, among other fields.
The program seeks to match participants’ interests with available training opportunities and labor-market needs, Mr. Badjie said. Where a preferred course is unavailable in a participant’s home region, recruits are counseled on alternative programs or training locations.
He said the broader objective is not simply to teach young people a trade, but to equip them with the discipline, experience and practical skills needed to build sustainable livelihoods.
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