-To Integrate Top-performing Graduates into Government
The Civil Service Agency (CSA) says is in the process of forging a strategic partnership with Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Centers, Inc. (LOIC) to create a direct pipeline for integrating top-performing graduates into government spending entities.
The Director General of the CSA, Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr. who announced this at the at the Graduation Ceremony of the 29th Training Cycle of the LOIC in Monrovia said this collaboration will be designed to identify, train, and deploy skilled technical personnel into ministries and agencies where their services are most needed.
Speaking as the keynote speaker at the LOIC graduation Friday, May 9, 2025, Dr. Joekai indicated that this initiative will professionalize the civil service and support the CSA’s broader reform agenda, which emphasizes competence, integrity, and service delivery.
“We can build a meritocratic, technically sound public workforce with LOIC’s established training infrastructure and the CSA’s workforce database and policy tools,” he asserted, appealing to lawmakers and national policymakers to increase budgetary support to LOIC. “Rebuild it as a national incubator for job creation, technical excellence, and workforce deployment. Let us invest in LOIC not as a charity but as a national economic strategy,” he intimated.
Dr. Joekai called on them to imagine a Liberia where every county has a fully equipped LOIC branch—graduating electricians in River Gee, tailors in Lofa, auto mechanics in Bomi, and cosmetologists in Grand Kru. “Imagine those graduates filling jobs in government schools, hospitals, water and sanitation projects, and nationwide road networks. This is the vision we must commit to,” he urged.
The CSA Director General counseled the graduates that the job market does not only exist in offices, stating that modern economy thrives on services, trades, and technical know-how. “A skilled plumber can earn more than a college graduate. A talented tailor can run a fashion business that employs dozens. An innovative electrician can design solar solutions for communities off the national grid,” he said.
He further advised the graduates to take control of their destiny and to use social media to advertise your services. “Create portfolios of your work. Register your business network with peers. Don’t wait for opportunities; create them. Apply for jobs in public entities and pitch your services to NGOs, hotels, schools, and construction companies. Most importantly, continue learning. As you walk across this stage to receive your certificate, walk with your head held high. You are not just graduates but nation-builders, problem-solvers, and change agents.”
The said the graduates carry the legacy of more than 70,000 LOIC alumni and the hopes of a nation that needs your skills now more than ever. Liberia, he maintained, is undergoing renewal, and that the role of the LOIC graduates is pivotal in the renewal process, challenging them to become employers, not just employees.
“I challenge you to be ethical in your work, disciplined in your craft, and patriotic in your service. Let your name be called not just as someone who graduated from LOIC, but as someone who used that opportunity to change their community and transform the future of Liberia,” he added as he congratulated the Class of the 29th Cycle, saying that the road ahead
Since its establishment in 1977, he recalled that the Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Centers has stood as a national pillar for practical skills training and workforce development. With over 70,000 graduates, LOIC has been instrumental in shaping Liberia’s manpower foundation.
The institution, he noted, , has provided hope where none existed, empowered youth who were once sidelined, and unlocked pathways to dignified work and self-reliance. Whether in tailoring, auto mechanics, plumbing, general construction, electricity, or cosmetology, LOIC has ensured that young Liberians are not left behind in the global shift toward technical and vocational excellence.
He also recalled that the LOIC as an institution has withstood war, economic collapse, and neglect, yet remained unwavering in its mission to equip our citizens with marketable and employable skills. LOIC’s work is not just about training, it is about nation-building.
Today, he said Liberia faces a profound brain drain, particularly in technical and vocational fields. The demand for skilled electricians, plumbers, refrigeration technicians, auto mechanics, and construction workers vastly outweighs supply. Government agencies, public works, and even the private sector struggle to fill critical technical vacancies.
“Our hospitals need trained biomedical technicians. Our communities need skilled plumbers to ensure safe sanitation. Our roads require civil technicians and machinery operators. Yet, we continue to import these services at significant cost while our youth remain unemployed or underemployed,” he said further
He then admonished that their graduation be a turning point. “The skills you now possess are not just tools for employment, they are weapons against poverty, underdevelopment, and dependency. You are the solution to Liberia’s chronic skills gap. You are a blessing to your families, communities, and your country,” he concluded.
Comments are closed.