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S4J expands network and strengthens systemic reform in Albania's vocational education

Albania
Initial vocational education and training
23.06.2025
The “Skills for Jobs” (S4J) project has entered a new phase of strategic expansion and systemic consolidation by officially welcoming four new vocational schools into its partner network. This milestone reinforces S4J’s long-term vision of building a modern, market-aligned, and future-ready vocational education and training (VET) system in Albania.

The welcoming ceremony gathered key representatives from national and international institutions, including Ms. Olta Manjani, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Economy, Culture, and Innovation; Ms. Argjentina Grazhdani, Swisscontact Country Director for Albania; Mr. Philipp Arnold, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Switzerland; Mr. Klevis Hysa, Director General of the National Agency for Employment and Skills; and Mr. Eno Ngjela, Programme Specialist at UNDP Albania.

Stakeholders echoed a shared commitment to reshaping VET into a responsive, inclusive, and quality-driven system that directly serves labor market needs. The event also saw the signing of joint activity plans between the new partner schools and the S4J project, marking the start of a structured collaboration for institutional transformation.

In his address, S4J Project Manager Mr. Fation Dragoshi emphasized that “the partnership with the newly integrated schools will focus on three strategic pillars: improving quality, deepening engagement with the private sector, and promoting digital transformation. These are essential for building a resilient VET system equipped to meet the demands of tomorrow’s workforce.”

Following the network expansion, S4J organized a two-day workshop at the Economic Technical School in Tirana, focused on supporting the newly joined schools in developing their institutional annual plans. Planning and monitoring teams from each school, transfer experts, and S4J staff worked closely to co-develop concrete and measurable objectives across three key areas:

  • Engagement with the private sector
  • Digitalization
  • Organizational development

Through plenary discussions and group work sessions, participants analyzed school-specific data, exchanged experiences, and set realistic targets that will shape their institutional development for the academic year. Transfer experts provided hands-on guidance throughout the process, ensuring that each plan reflects both the schools' context and S4J’s systemic approach to improvement.

 

Mr. Dragoshi and Ms. Etleva Gjelaj, Director of VET Management at the National Agency for Employment and Skills, highlighted in their opening remarks the central role of evidence-based planning and strong collaboration between schools and labor market actors in ensuring the sustainable development of the VET sector.

This combination of strategic growth and structured, data-informed planning represents a key step forward in S4J’s mission to create a vocational education system that is inclusive, agile, and aligned with Albania’s social and economic priorities.

Skills for Jobs is a Swiss Agency for Development project, implemented by Swisscontact, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation of Albania.