Liberia: CSA Boss Warns of Growing Graduate Unemployment

What the report says

Liberia’s Civil Service Agency Director General, Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, has warned that the country may be producing more university graduates than the labor market can absorb. Speaking in Monrovia on Friday, November 6, at the induction of newly elected officials of the Adjunct Faculty Association of the University of Liberia, he said the problem reflects a mismatch between academic programs and the skills employers need.

According to the report carried by The New Dawn and distributed by AllAfrica, Joekai said many students choose courses without enough career guidance or current information about job opportunities. He pointed to a concentration of students in fields such as public administration, business administration, management and political science, while Liberia lacks enough trained workers in areas including engineering, medicine, agriculture, science, information technology and technical trades.

Joekai said the gap could deepen graduate unemployment and underemployment while leaving key sectors short of skilled staff needed for national development. He said he has discussed with University of Liberia President Dr. Makaya the idea of structured career counseling and professional guidance for students from admission through graduation. The proposed effort would help students assess their strengths, understand labor trends and consider sectors with skills shortages.

He also urged lecturers to provide mentorship beyond classroom teaching and called on the faculty association’s new leadership to support transparency, accountability and improved professional development for teachers. The article did not provide figures on graduate output or a timeline for the counseling initiative.