07/21/2025
Pa Ousman Joof Training School for Youth Employability Granted Full National Accreditation
The Pa Ousman Joof Training School for Youth Employability (PoJTIYE), formerly known as Gambian Talents Training Institute for Youth Employability, has officially received full accreditation from The Gambia’s National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) to operate as an institution of higher education.
Established in 2006, the institution has trained over 600 young Gambians, many from underprivileged backgrounds, offering practical, skills-based education aimed at increasing youth employability and preparing trainees for the demands of the local and international job markets for free of charge.
PoJYE offers a wide range of vocational programmes, including journalism, camera operation, video and audio editing, television production, graphic design, Information Technology, computer repair, accounting, management, and other multimedia-related disciplines.
Under the new accreditation framework, the school, as well as the instructors, will be fully licensed that will enable the students to receive an accredited certificate that is signed off by NAQAA.
The school had held temporary accreditation status for the past 2 years, during which time it underwent rigorous processes and improvements to meet the required standards.
This effort was led by the late Fatou Samba Joof, the institution’s former Country Coordinator, whose tireless leadership and vision guided the school through the demanding accreditation process.
“Fatou Samba worked diligently alongside her team for the past five years to ensure this institution would one day receive this accreditation. She put in a lot of sweat and tears going back and forth to different offices and meeting different individuals about this accreditation,” Pa Ousman Joof, founder and Global Coordinator of Gambian Talents Promotion, and husband of the late Mrs Joof said.
“Without her hard work and unwavering dedication, none of this would have been possible. It’s a bittersweet moment for us. We are proud of this achievement, but we dearly wish it had happened while she was still with us.”
During the accreditation process, NAQAA recommended for GTP to separate the school from the media house, and Fatou Samba suggested for us to change the name to POJ Training Institute for Youth Employability (PoJTIYE) in my honor to maintain my legacy. Little did I know that she would die before me. For this reason, we will try to include her name in the school (POJ and Fatou Samba Training Institute for Youth Employability) to honor her legacy." Added Mr. Joof.
This official accreditation marks a transformative step forward in POJTIYE’s ongoing mission to equip Gambian youth with high-quality vocational training, support national development, and honour the legacy of one of its most dedicated leaders in Fatou Samba.
The school that accepts new students every 6 months is warming up to enroll a new batch of students soon.
Scholarships will be available for students on a first-come, first-served basis.
May Fatou Samba's soul rest in peace
