Published: June 8, 2026
RIVER GEE COUNTY — River Gee Technical College graduated its first class of 203 students on a day that marks a turning point for technical education in the county, with a senior government official urging the pioneers to view their certificates as a starting line rather than a finish.
Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning Tanneh G. Brunson, delivering the keynote, called on the graduates to see themselves as “problem-solvers, role models, and contributors to national growth.” The cohort is the first to complete the college’s market-driven technical program, which officials say is designed to supply Liberia with a workforce equipped with practical skills.
“Today is not just a ceremony,” Brunson said. “It is a milestone event that marks the successful completion of a journey defined by commitment, discipline, and the courage to seize it.”
“Your training has been market-driven and is nationally relevant,” she told the graduates. “You, therefore, are not just job seekers. You are solution providers. You are now equipped not only with knowledge, but with skills and the ability to do, to build, to fix, to create, and to solve.”
Brunson urged the graduates to treat their certificates as “a license to begin, not a final destination,” and praised their decision to pursue technical and vocational training at a time when many choose purely academic paths. “We live in a time of rapid changes, especially in this era of technology,” she said. “You have made strategic decisions to acquire practical, marketable, and industry-relevant skills, and gained valuable experience along the way.”
Competence builds confidence, and confidence builds credibility, she said, qualities she described as increasingly essential as young people confront challenges such as climate change, health epidemics, cybersecurity and sustainable development. Cross-functional skills like teamwork, critical thinking and flexibility are now indispensable, she added.
Academic ability remains vital but is no longer sufficient on its own, Brunson said, noting that artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and the evolving digital economy bring both opportunity and disruption, including job automation, market volatility and privacy violations. “Each of you must be prepared to tackle these new world issues,” she said.
She closed with a charge to the class. “Go out there and be bold and courageous,” she said. “And when you get there, remember to pull someone else up behind you, because the fruits of life are sweeter when shared.”
The ceremony drew Senator Francis S. Dopoh II and River Gee County President Jerry Bleh, along with faculty, parents and national education leaders. With its first graduating class, River Gee Technical College has positioned itself as a key institution for building the skilled workforce Liberia needs to grow.
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