New ICT vocational school opens in Tirana

TIRANA, Sept. 24 – A new vocational training high school has opened in Tirana specializing in information and communications technology in an effort to bring down youth unemployment currently standing at a historic high of 34 percent as more and more university diplomas are not matching market needs.
The school named after Austrian philanthropist and the founder of SOS Children’s Villages Hermann Gmeiner opened thanks to support by the Austrian government and Vodafone Albania which financed its ICT lab.
“Last year, some 3,900 students graduated from our vocational schools, but some 6,000 students have enrolled this year. This is good news not only for vocational schools, but also because of the fact that statistics, employment offices and the labour market show the future is toward vocational education,” said Social Welfare and Youth Minister Erion Veliaj attending the inauguration ceremony of the new school last week.
Youth unemployment climbed to a historic high of 33.5 percent in the second quarter of 2014, meaning one out of three people aged between 15 to 29 find themselves jobless, according to a labour force survey published by the country’s state statistical institute, INSTAT.
With university degrees not matching market needs, the Albanian government is promoting vocational education training whose students stand better chances to find a job.
Young people face a number of challenges when it comes to seeking gainful employment, such as a lack of skills and education to respond to the market needs, experts say.
In its latest 2013 progress report on Albania, the European Commission says a strategy for vocational education and lifelong learning needs to be adopted. “The number of students enrolled on vocational and educational (VET) courses in the year 2012-13 increased by 23 percent compared to the previous year. Existing VET schools are not properly maintained due to the lack of financial resources. Participation of the private sector, which is a key factor for a successful VET reform, is still insufficient. The low participation in VET contrasts with the economic demand for skilled workers,” says the progress report on Albania.
The latest study on the state of vocational training education conducted by the Education Ministry shows only around 20 percent of students attend vocational education training schools in Albania.