Economic Reform Programme (ERP) in Albania (2018 – 2020)

Area: Education and Skills
Reform 15: Improve the quality and coverage of VET while ensuring linkages with the labour market
Activities planned in 2018
  • Complete the development of the legal framework for VET, drafting and adoption of sub-legal acts in implementation of the VET Law, adoption of the Law on AQF and institutional framework in the VET area, reconstruction of VET public providers, improvement of school equipment, extension and consolidation of partnership with business, etc.;
  • Set-up of the National Agency on Employment and Skills, responsible for the day-to-day management of VET providers and assessment of capacity development needs at central, regional and local level;
  • Develop a VET offer optimization plan in line with regional skills development needs;
  • Define a concept for quality of VET at all levels (central, institutional and provider level) with the aim of assuring the quality of VET providers and improving the quality of VET inputs (labs and equipment, curricula, teaching curricula), processes and outcomes;
  • Increasing the number of partnerships with business and social partners, creating more opportunities for gainful employment;
  • Capacity development for VET teachers and trainers (by drafting policies for recruitment, professional development, assessment of competences and training of VET teachers and trainers);
  • Increase of access to VET from rural areas and marginalized groups.
Activities planned in 2019
  • Roll out the VET offer optimization plan in line with regional skills development needs and the process of re-organization of VET providers;
  • Continue the roll out of the quality concept both at the system level and at the level of providers. Ensure that all public providers undergo a self-assessment process; 
  • Skills development for VET teachers and trainers (by drafting policies for recruitment, professional development, assessment of competences and training of VET teachers and trainers);
  • Increase of access to VET from rural areas and marginalized groups.
Activities planned in 2020
  • Improving the quality of VET through investment in infrastructure, programs, and professional development of teachers;
  • Development of the process of introducing elements of the dual system of vocational education;
  • Developing the competencies of VET teachers as well as teacher trainers (initial and on-going vocational training).
Area: Employment and labour markets
Reform measure 16: Modernise public employment services, increase employment of women, youth and vulnerable people
Activities planned in 2018
  • Approval of the draft law on employment promotion and drafting the sublegal acts introducing: (i) new job creation programmes or improvement of the existing ones that will include the involvement of unemployed jobseekers in various promotion of employment schemes, public or community works, entrepreneurship programs, internships or training programs at the subsidized cost to employers aiming the most vulnerable groups etc, (ii) the New Service Model to improve the performance of services.
  • Establishment of the National Agency on Employment and Skills (transformation of the National Employment Service) who will be in charge of employment service and active labour market programs but also the management of the VET providers.
  • 15 employment offices will be reconstructed by 2018 according to the New Service Model.
  • Share of registered unemployed jobseekers benefiting from employment promotion programs will reach 5.2%. (Baseline 2014: 2.6%).
Activities planned in 2019
  • Implementation of the new and improved employment promotion programs in the aim to support the most vulnerable groups and the share of registered unemployed jobseekers benefiting from employment promotion programs will reach 5.5%.
  • Improving the linkage of VET providers with the labour market and expanding VET access to those residing in rural areas.
  • Implementation of the new service model in all employment offices and expanding coverage of services in the rural area.
Activities planned in 2020
  • Implementation of employment promotion programs in the aim to support the most vulnerable groups and the share of registered unemployed jobseekers benefiting from employment promotion programs will reach 5.7%.
  • Expanding employment services to other municipalities.