Upskilling in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has no single national system covering all continuing education providers, fees, qualifications and transferable credits. Formal options include Extra-Mural Studies at the University of Sierra Leone and Fourah Bay College, IPAM programmes, Njala University short courses, University of Makeni short and online courses, and Public Service Academy training. Non-formal education means planned learning outside the formal education system; MBSSE and its Directorate of Non-Formal and Adult Education regulate adult literacy, continuing education centres and other non-formal programmes. Local councils may support community education centres and handle local provider registration or approval. Other routes include donor- and NGO-supported courses, the Skills Development Fund, MoCTI Learn2Earn, employer-sponsored upgrading, in-service training, mentoring, peer learning and self-directed online learning. Technical and professional programmes may involve the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education, which is responsible for accreditation, validation, examinations and certification under the 2024 Act enacted in 2025. Tertiary programmes fall under the Tertiary Education Commission. Teacher development is coordinated through the Teaching Service Commission and may be delivered by teacher training colleges, MBSSE, the Sierra Leone Teachers Union, NGOs and international partners. Civil servants usually enter relevant programmes through nomination by their ministry, department or agency and an HR focal point. Health professionals follow sector-specific arrangements involving the Ministry of Health and professional councils. Entry rules vary. For example, some USL and IPAM diploma routes list at least four GCE O-Level or WASSCE credits, including a C6 in English or Mathematics plus additional credits, while other programmes use different requirements. The Teaching Service Commission's Continuous Professional Development (CPD) arrangements apply to registered, active teachers and school leaders. CPD completion can affect promotion, but promotion also depends on factors such as time in the position or grade, performance, experience, academic record and conduct. There is no verified general individual entitlement to free continuing education, paid study leave or CPD for every worker. Costs and schedules differ widely. Some state- or donor-funded programmes may be free, including MoCTI Learn2Earn, while private and university courses charge their own fees. A listed University of Makeni basic computer course costs Le350,000 and lasts five weeks. USL Extra-Mural certificates commonly take about one year and diplomas about two years; Njala short courses range from roughly three months to one year; some Fourah Bay College community certificates last six months. Civil-service digital training planned for 2026 uses weekly cohorts over an overall rollout of about eight to nine months. Dates, locations and availability change by programme, and provision is often more concentrated in Freetown and other urban areas than in districts. Micro-credentials are small, potentially stackable learning units, but Sierra Leone's national framework and credit accumulation, transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning policies were still under development in 2025 and 2026. A completed course therefore does not automatically carry the same value as a nationally recognised qualification or transfer into another programme. Check who accredits the course, what certificate it issues, whether the employer or professional body accepts it and whether the result is recorded in an official register. Training access can also be limited by fees, distance, disability, gender-related barriers, poverty, unreliable electricity, internet access and a shortage of providers or career guidance.