TIRANA, April 2 /ATA/ – The vocational education and training reform will provide real employment opportunities and meet the domestic labour market needs, Prime Minister Edi Rama said in his remarks during visit to a vocational education institution in the southern coastal city of Vlora on Monday.
“The enthusiastic rebirth of Vlora’s Industrial School represents a concrete example of the ongoing transformation towards the real employment through implementation of the vocational education reform,” the government head said.
PM Edi Rama, accompanied by Vlora Mayor Dritan Leli, visited the vocational school “Pavarësia” (Independence), with its facilities meeting standards of the European vocational education institutions thanks to Swiss Skills for Job project.
PM Rama met with the teaching staff and engaged in a conversation with students and their parents. The government head noted that vocational education is closely related to the labour market needs, adding that developing stronger capacity building remains a major challenge.
“The system of cooperation with enterprises, the introduction of enterprises to schools and guiding students towards a potential work place is the key to the whole change. Now the problem is to increase capacity here, but also in all other cities. The demand will increasingly go up, because people are realizing that this field will offer real employment opportunities to many and parents are especially beginning to become very sensitive,” he said.
The government head noted that a long road lies ahead to implementation of the vocational education and training reform and it would take time and patience.
The school’s headmaster told PM Rama that an ever increasing number of students are showing interest to enrol in vocational schools.
With international support and inspired by the Europe 2020 agenda, Albania has developed a national strategy on skills and jobs (2014-2020) to ensure greater opportunities for youth to secure decent work and income over the life-cycle, contributing to a virtuous circle of poverty reduction, sustainable development and social inclusion.
The Skills for Job project was designed to address main Vocational Education and Training (VET) challenges by supporting VET providers to offer innovative learning methods, company-based training and career services for smoother school to work transition.
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