A South Korea-backed vocational education program run in partnership with UNESCO is empowering young Africans with practical skills, enabling them to launch small businesses and secure employment in key local sectors.
The Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR) initiative, launched in 2011, has trained more than 10,000 young people and supported over 5,800 vocational teachers across 14 African countries. Funded by the Republic of Korea as a flagship education development assistance project, BEAR strengthens technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems while aligning curricula with actual labor market demands.
UNESCO is currently highlighting the program’s success through its global 'Skills Move Us' campaign, launched around World Youth Skills Day on July 15. The campaign showcases real stories of participants who have transformed their lives through vocational training via articles, videos, and dedicated content.
In Sierra Leone, Fatmata, a BEAR beneficiary, applied her training in agriculture and cassava processing to start a business selling cassava products at a local market in Kambia. She now employs others in her community.
“It will make everybody self-sufficient, and we’ll have our confidence back”, Fatmata said. “Through my business, I have money. Through my agricultural skills, I have money. And I’m also an employer".
The program emphasizes demand-driven training rather than generic short courses. Employers actively participate in curriculum design, trainee supervision, and skills assessment based on industry standards. This collaborative approach significantly improves graduates’ chances of finding jobs or starting their own enterprises.
In Côte d’Ivoire, the initiative has enabled women to enter the beauty industry and establish successful salons. Elodie Silue, who runs her own beauty salon, credited the training with turning her vision into reality.
“I carried on because I believed in myself and my vision,” Silue said. “Above all, the training helped me and I am very grateful for it".
BEAR was initially implemented in Southern Africa before expanding to East Africa. Its latest phase focuses on Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, targeting high-potential sectors such as agriculture, fashion, and beauty services.
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“With support from the Republic of Korea, UNESCO has brought together governments, training institutions and employers to ensure that skills training responds to labor market needs", UNESCO stated.
The Korean Ministry of Education noted that featuring BEAR prominently in UNESCO’s headquarters-led global campaign is a rare recognition for a Korean-funded development project. The timing coincides with the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Busan.
UNESCO has created a dedicated webpage and promotional video showcasing the program’s impact, particularly in Sierra Leone. This visibility underscores the growing international profile of South Korea’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in education.
A senior Education Ministry official told The Korea Herald that UNESCO’s decision reflects how Korea’s education ODA has evolved from country-specific support to a model of international cooperation that promotes sustainable development through skills and education.
“UNESCO’s expansion of the BEAR initiative into a global campaign is a meaningful achievement that demonstrates how Korea’s education ODA has evolved beyond helping individual countries to become a leading model of international cooperation that opens up opportunities for young people and advances sustainable development through skills and education”, the official said.
The BEAR program continues to serve as an example of effective development cooperation, combining Korean expertise in vocational education with UNESCO’s global reach to create lasting impact for African youth.
