Senior Political Advisor to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Macdella Cooper, has urged Liberian young people to look beyond traditional university education and embrace technical and vocational skills as pathways to employment, entrepreneurship and economic independence.
Cooper made the call Sunday, August 16, 2026, while serving as guest speaker at the eighth graduation ceremony of the D-7 Skills Training Center at the Sports Commission on Broad Street in Monrovia.
The ceremony brought together 951 graduates who completed six months of training in various practical disciplines, including computer studies, journalism, cosmetology, pastry, tailoring, electricity, satellite installation, entrepreneurship and driving.
Cooper described the graduation as more than an academic milestone, saying it represents an investment in Liberia’s human capital and future workforce.
She commended Representative Emmanuel Dahn and the Emmanuel Dahn Foundation for providing young Liberians with practical skills that can enable them to create jobs, establish businesses and provide essential services within their communities.
According to Cooper, the D-7 training model demonstrates that young people can acquire marketable skills within a relatively short period when they are provided with opportunity, discipline, practical instruction and support.
She said the Boakai administration considers technical and vocational education an important component of efforts to address unemployment, reduce poverty and develop the skilled workforce needed to support Liberia’s economic growth.
Cooper cited government partnerships and development financing as evidence of the administration’s commitment to skills development.
She referenced the World Bank’s recent approval of US$88.7 million for Liberia’s EXCEL education project and the previous US$16 million Youth, Employment and Skills Project, which she said contributed to strengthening the country’s technical and vocational education and training system.
She, however, stressed that government alone cannot meet the country’s skills development needs and called for stronger cooperation among training institutions, the private sector, development partners, communities and young people.
Turning her attention to the graduates, Cooper challenged them not to view a university degree as the only path to success.
She said practical abilities such as electrical installation, vehicle repair, computer technology, tailoring, food preparation, media production, satellite installation and entrepreneurship can provide legitimate livelihoods and economic opportunities.
“There is dignity in skilled work. There is opportunity in skilled work. There is economic power in skilled work,” Cooper said.
She encouraged the graduates to master their professions, continue learning and use their skills to create sustainable livelihoods.
Cooper also encouraged young women and girls to pursue professions traditionally viewed as being dominated by men.
She said women should feel empowered to become electricians, mechanics, computer technicians, entrepreneurs, drivers, journalists, builders and business owners.
“Skills create independence. Skills create confidence. Skills create opportunity,” she said.
Cooper also highlighted the importance of collaboration among Liberian leaders and institutions in expanding opportunities for young people.
She commended Representative Dahn for his investment in skills development and said his work demonstrates that leadership should not be measured only by political office but also by the opportunities created for citizens.
She further said Speaker of the House of Representatives Richard Nagbe Koon shares a commitment to creating opportunities for Liberians and understands the importance of technical and vocational education.
Addressing the 951 graduates, Cooper urged them to view their certificates as the beginning of their professional journeys rather than the conclusion of their education.
She encouraged them not to depend solely on government employment but to explore entrepreneurship, partnerships and cooperative ventures where possible.
“Do not wait for government jobs. Do not wait to be employed. Where you can, create something,” she said.
Cooper also called on the Emmanuel Dahn Foundation and D-7 Skills Training Center to expand access to practical education and develop stronger partnerships that can help graduates transition from training to employment and entrepreneurship.
She said Liberia needs skilled workers, entrepreneurs and young people prepared to contribute to national development through productive work.
Cooper concluded by congratulating the graduates, instructors, parents and organizers, while emphasizing that Liberia’s future development will depend not only on universities and traditional classrooms but also on workshops, laboratories, businesses, farms, studios and other spaces where practical skills are transformed into economic opportunities.
