EU’s aid for Albania’s vocational education

TIRANA, March 31 – European Commission assistance in the reform of Vocational Education and Training in Albania so far amounts to 9 million Euros and it pledged 7 million more in the years to come. Together with other donors in this sector and high level government representatives and decision makers, the EC participated in the National Conference on Vocational Education and Training, held in Tirana trying to go beyond the identification and analysis of needs and gaps in Albania’s education system vis-ஶis labor market demands, and work out practical solutions and implementation ideas to assist government reform efforts in the area.
The fall of the communist regime and the introduction of a market economy in Albania have inevitably altered the approach to education. The European Commission has long assisted Albania in closing the gaps between labor market demand and supply that quickly emerged during the nineties. Namely, the EC has dedicated up to 9 million Euros so far for the construction and reconstruction of vocational schools, for the provision of didactical materials, for the drafting of new curricula and enhancement of human resources.
In the framework of Albania’s Stabilization and Association process, the Commission will continue its support in this area with another 7 million Euros in the years to come. Many other donors are also assisting the Albanian government in this sector. Yet, efforts need to be well coordinated and the ambitious agenda of increasing the number of students enrolled in vocational education and training institutions by 40% and making VET more labor market oriented needs to be matched by equally ambitious government measures.
It is the search for practical and enforceable solutions that brought together representatives of the donor community and government in the National VET Conference today. Addressing the participants, the Head of the European Commission Delegation to Tirana, Ambassador Helmuth Lohan noted that “the European Commission will certainly continue its support as we regard education a matter of utmost importance and a primary source of sustainability for a country’s development. In fact, another 7 million Euros have been earmarked for future EU assistance. However, the European Commission cannot in itself reform Albania’s education system, nor can the donor community alone. Albania needs to take the lead in the creation of a practice oriented vocational education and training system that relates directly to the skills needed on the labor market”.