| Project Detail |
Unequal access to employment and the mismatch between education and labour market requirements are among the reasons for the high youth-unemployment in Albania. The Vocational Education and Training (VET) system therefore is undergoing a reorientation in order to meet labour market needs. Through the Skills Development for Employment Programme Switzerland is supporting these reforms
Diversifying employment promotion
Employment promotion can directly influence job finding and placements. The programme has assessed Albania’s current offering in this area and is introducing new promotion mechanisms. The programme so far has:
Introduced a scoring system that makes it easy for businesses to evaluate job applications.
Studied new models for promoting employment: using public work schemes such as irrigation and flood prevention to involve the unemployed; city kiosks for disabled persons; and activation measures for IT and agricultural students.
Revised five government decisions that target employment promotion for orphans, single mothers and university graduates.
Improved the information system of the national employment service for better impact measurement.
Designed a new employment scheme for young people that want to start a business. This scheme includes trainings, business plan development, business registration and grants for equipment and materials.
Introducing work-based learning
Theoretical and school-based learning is prevalent in Albania. Therefore the programme is exploring ways of introducing work-based learning as a necessary bridge between education and work. First steps include a working group on work-based learning, a study on private sector involvement, and desk research of the topic.
Higher quality vocational training
Acceptable international standards and quality assurance have been missing in Albania’s vocational education system. Therefore the programme is working to establish quality assurance and accreditation for vocational education providers. The programme is:
Coordinating with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, national employment service, and the National Agency of Vocational Education, Training and Qualification (NAVETQ) on how to adopt quality assurance and accreditation.
Researching the current terminology, legislation and vocational education situation in the country.
Supporting NAVETQ with procedures, rules and criteria on improving quality and accreditation of vocational education providers.
Forecasting of skills needed in the job market
Reliable job market information should be coupled with accurate forecasting of skills in order to be of help to job seekers, job providers and government. The programme so far has:
Established an inter-institutional platform for job market information.
Revised the National List of Occupations to adapt it to the labour market, educational sector and international standards.
Developed a web-based application to enable listing of occupations, search function, and useful information for each job listed. |
