By Restore Hall
More than thirty young Liberians have completed a training in green jobs and circular economy skills as part of efforts to equip young people with practical tools for employment and entrepreneurship.
The Center for Youth Civic Leadership and Environmental Studies, CYCLES, conducted the three-day Youth Green Jobs and Circular Economy Hub Training at ActionAid Liberia’s Global Platform Conference Hall in Monrovia.
It brought together young people interested in waste management, agro-ecology, and renewable energy.
ActionAid Liberia supported the training under its Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA II) project.
CYCLES’s officials said the initiative was purposely intended to contribute to Liberia’s transition toward a circular economy, while addressing the country’s youth unemployment challenge.
The officials said providing young people with practical and locally relevant skills would help create new opportunities in emerging green sectors.
A major component of the initiative, according to the CYCLES’ officials, is the planned establishment of Youth Circular Economy Hubs.
The hubs are expected to serve as youth-friendly spaces for technical training, innovation, business incubation, and enterprise development, the officials said.
CYCLES further disclosed that the hubs will particularly focus on helping young people and women develop the technical, entrepreneurial, and organizational skills needed to establish and expand sustainable small and medium-size enterprises.
During the training, participants explored practical approaches to waste segregation, material recovery, recycling, and upcycling, while examining how these activities could be transformed into sustainable income-generating businesses.
As part of the practical learning experience, participants visited the recycling plant of the Evergreen Recycling Institute, where they observed recycling processes and participated in hands-on activities under the guidance of the institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Smith.
CYCLES and ActionAid Liberia said the initiative is also aligned with Liberia’s National Youth Policy 2025–2029 and the country’s climate commitments under its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0).
The organizations believe investments in green skills can help position young Liberians as active participants in addressing environmental challenges while creating new economic opportunities.
At the end of the training, several participants expressed their intention to return to their communities and explore green business opportunities, particularly in waste management.
For CYCLES, the training represents a step toward creating a workforce capable of turning Liberia’s environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and decent employment.
