The Principal of Booker Washington Institute (BWI), Atty Harris Fomba Tarnue, has disclosed that BWI is experiencing huge transformation.
He said that significant transformation has taken place at the institution, in line with the administration’s five-year strategic plan that was developed in 2017 and ended in 2022.
The Executive Officer (EO) of the school was speaking at the opening of the sustainability strategic planning workshop 2024-2028, saying development partners have played leading roles relative to the successful implementation of the plan.
“We have conducted staff development, improved infrastructure, including investment in equipment, as well as introduction of new curriculum for Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET), among others.
According to the theme of the workshop “Unleashing BWI’s Potential Towards Its Centenary; Strategic Posture”, he explained that the gathering is intended to review activities as regards to the exhausted five-year plan that will be evaluated, and they will also brainstorm when it comes to formulating mechanisms aimed at sustaining ongoing projects as they end.
“We must be prepared and ready to take charge, so we must set up a new road map during the workshop that will move our noble BWI forward in the next five years,” he urged the BWI Family.
He further pointed out that a new government will be inaugurated in 2024 that will undoubtedly craft its own educational policies or integrate and/or amend existing policies, but maintained that they will consciously design a new road map that will fit into the government’s national policies on education, indicating that there is always room for adjustment.
He however urged heads of departments to develop their strategic roles and objective for the next five years, asserting that the institution will derive its educational sector plan and TVET Policy in line with the government policy.
The Senior TVET Coordinator, Youth Rising, UNIDO Professor David Chakonta, commended the administration for the level of work they are doing that is keeping the school moving forward.
The Head of the BWI TVET Center for Professional Training, Research and Innovation, stated that the center provides training for TVET Staff, instructors, as well as managers and administrative staff.
He added that they are currently training 59 people with TVET Skills on how to transfer the skills to others; according to him, the batch of trainees just returned from further studies abroad, like Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, and Europe.
The project, which is funded by the EU and the Swedish Government, is providing teaching methodology to the trainees using relative working materials and tools.
“We envisaged training about 280 TVET Professional people at the end of the project on how to teach skills like Carpentry, Electricity, Masonry, Plumbing, among others,” he averred.
The Project Officer-Governance Cooperation EU, Lorpu Scott, lauded Principal Tarnue for putting in place a sustainability plan, adding that it is a demonstration of farsightedness.
“The Youth Rising Project that is funded by the EU is adequately being managed at BWI,” she stressed.
She then informed the audience that the EU signed a 25 million Euro contract with the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO) in December 2023, under the Youth Rising Project 2, which is intended to provide modern TVET Institutions for the remaining eight counties in the country, along with relevant equipment, including training of staffs, amongst other benefits.
For her part, the Head of the EU Governance Cooperation, Madam Anna Brozozowska, said that she is delighted to form part of the EU Delegation in Liberia, stating that she is here to work along with her colleagues so as to enhance the functions of the organization.
The EU Governance Cooperation Head stressed that education is very important for the development of any society, so, they will continue to work with the government in order to provide the necessary enlightenment for its people.
She added, “We will be considering women and young girls’ empowerment in every aspect of learning, because they need to be given the needed assistance to improve their lives.”
