Returning to new opportunities: Coaching for Employment and Reintegration (C4ER) for returned migrants 

Migration presents significant challenges and opportunities in Albania since many years. The lack of an inclusive economy and relevant policies pushes many young people to leave the country and find better opportunities abroad, mainly in EU countries.

Germany is among the most attractive countries for recent migrants, even though many of those who file for asylum fail due to a lack of well-founded asylum grounds. The number of emigrants that have returned to Albania over the last years is estimated at 100'000. The need for reintegration services in the country of origin is high for all those who return from migration and restart their life in Albania.

The Coaching for Employment (C4E) methodology is an innovative concept for labour market insertion and socio-economic development of youth, which is successfully implemented in Albania since 2010. It brings together practical interventions at the level of local partners, local resources, and innovation.

The project is creating good grounds for reintegration of returning migrants, as well as addressing social inclusion and gender equality among other issues.

• Social inclusion: Disadvantaged groups including returned migrants in Albania are often left behind. These groups require specific multi-dimensional policies tailored towards their characteristics and needs in terms of education, qualifications, and employment.
• Gender-equality: Women have much lower labour force participation and higher inactivity rates than men. Their participation in the world of work at the lower end of the qualification ladder is limited to a few typical female job profiles for cultural reasons. Gender balance in Albania is still very much affected by traditions of separate tasks for men and women. Swisscontact promotes equal participation of young women and men in the coaching processes.
• Cooperation between public institutions and the private sector: As a business-oriented organization, Swisscontact contributes to building bridges and strengthening the linkages between public and private actors, through an innovative and result-oriented approach. 

The project aims at the economic reintegration of returned migrants and marginalized youth, by introducing the Coaching for Employment (C4E) approach in private companies (also known as ‘coaching in business’) and exploring validation (recognition) of prior learning with VET centres.

Coaching for Employment and Reintegration (C4ER) partners with large companies and contributes to fulfilling the market demand for professionals in the key economic sectors like tourism, construction, and production industries.

Project goals

Through the Coaching in Business Cycle, partner companies support and train project participants to acquire the necessary professional and social competences to secure sustainable job positions in the company. The cycle lasts between 1-3 months, depending on the industries.

In addition, through the pilot Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), the project aims to address the validation of skills gained during the migrants’ experience abroad in a systemic manner. The RPL process aims to provide project participants with a recognized certification by an authorized body that confirms their knowledge and skills measured against a relevant standard. 

Project partners

• National Agency for Employment Services (NAES)
• Vocational Training Centres
• Private Sector