Gonet Academy Surpasses 3,300 Enrollments, Accelerates Liberia’s Workforce Transformation

Gonet Academy has reached a major milestone in just 18 months, with over 3,300 enrolled learners across five successive cohorts (Cohorts 8-12), comprising 56% women among all participants. This achievement signals a growing demand for market-driven, skill-based education, positioning Gonet Academy as a leading force in Liberia’s human capital development and professional workforce transformation.

2025: A Breakout Year in Skills Development

Internal analysis reveals that 2025 alone accounts for 54% of total enrollments, with Cohorts 11 and 12 recording 1,814 participants (Cohort 11 is 765, Cohort 12 is 1,049), and Cohort 13 enrollment is ongoing. This represents a 16% increase compared to the previous year, reflecting a growing national realization that technical and professional education is not a luxury, but a necessity for job creation, institutional efficiency, and national development.

Female Participation on the Rise: Advancing Gender Equity

In line with Gonet Academy’s gender-responsive approach, women make up the majority of enrollees, particularly in courses like Project Management, Procurement, Human Resource Management, Entrepreneurship, ICT, and Monitoring and Evaluation. By deliberately promoting access to professional education for women, Gonet Academy is actively closing gender gaps in employment, leadership, and technical fields. The result: more women are now entering, retaining, and advancing in male-dominated sectors across public, private, and nonprofit industries.

From Enrollment to Employment: The Impact is Clear

Of the over 3,300 participants trained since 2024:

• Over 2,000 have completed their programs with an average completion rate of 80% per cohort.
• At least 30% of graduates have reported securing new jobs, promotions, increased salary, and internships within three to six months of completion.
• More than 150 participants have launched or strengthened micro and small enterprises in fields such as digital services, logistics, consulting, and agribusiness.
• About 77.8% of graduates have reported increased knowledge, 91.7% gained career-relevant skills, 80.6% improved career decision making, 75% improved job performance, and 88.9% increased confidence.
• Dozens of employers—including government agencies, banks, NGOs, and private firms—have formally acknowledged the performance improvement of staff trained by Gonet Academy.

Gonet Academy’s training programs are not just theoretical—they translate into real-world results, improving productivity, organizational impact, and livelihood outcomes.

Top Five Career-Changing Programs Driving Enrollment

The following courses have consistently ranked highest in demand, driven by their practical applications and alignment with current job market needs:

1. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): Building professionals to assess impact, improve accountability, and lead data-driven decision-making.
2. Project Management: Equipping participants to initiate, execute, and manage programs across development, government, and business sectors.
3. Procurement and Contract Management: Enhancing transparency, compliance, and cost-efficiency in institutional procurement processes.
4. Occupational Health and Safety Management: Empowering professionals to protect workers and meet national and international safety standards.
5. Human Resource Management: Developing HR practitioners to recruit, retain, and lead high-performing teams in diverse work environments.
6. ICT Programs: Building skills in data analysis, digital accounting, and Microsoft Office productivity.

These courses directly respond to national and institutional priorities while aligning with key frameworks such as Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ECOWAS Vision 2050, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Shaping the Future of Liberia’s Workforce

Gonet Academy’s professional training model is designed to support inclusive growth, especially for youth, women, and underserved populations across Liberia’s 15 counties. Through its three-tiered program structure—Foundation Certificate, Professional Diploma, and Comprehensive Professional Programs—the Academy meets learners at various levels, ensuring progression, retention, and results.

“Every enrollment is a seed of transformation. We’re proud that our students are not just learning—they’re leading,” said Mohammed Kerkulah, Founder & CEO of Gonet Academy. “We’re building a movement where education leads to employment, entrepreneurship, and empowerment.”

The Road Ahead

With Cohort 13 enrollment underway and a growing pipeline of partnerships with employers, development partners, and institutions, Gonet Academy is poised to train over 5,000 professionals by the end of 2025. The Gonet Academy Virtual Learning Environment (GA-VLE), which is set to be rolled out in Cohort 13 along with free internet access for all students and trainers, will expand to underserved counties through online learning and specialized regional mobile training.

“Our strategy is not only about scale—it’s about relevance,” said Richmond J. Salami, Program Quality and Delivery Manager at GonetAfrica. “We’re adapting training to sector-specific realities and equipping our learners to respond to the real challenges facing their communities and workplaces.”

Conclusion: A Nation Rising, One Graduate at a Time

As Liberia navigates a path toward inclusive and sustainable development, Gonet Academy stands at the forefront of national workforce empowerment. With every cohort, every graduation, and every success story, the Academy contributes to a future where Liberians are equipped not just to survive, but to lead, innovate, and thrive.