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Skills for Jobs (S4J)

Skills for Jobs (S4J) is a project of Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) and is implemented by Swisscontact. The project is part of the Economic Development and Employment Domain of the Swiss Cooperation and Strategy for Albania, with specific focus on employability. The main goal of ‘Skills for Jobs’ (S4J) project is to offer young people in Albania the best vocational education and training.
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Tirana
41.3275459
19.8186982
Albania
Project duration
2015 - 2027
Financed by
  • Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Project website

The project

The overarching goal of Skills for Jobs S4J is to contribute to an improved inclusive Albanian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system and increased competitiveness of the Albanian economy, by facilitating access to gainful employment and income for young women and men from diverse backgrounds.

The project actively promotes modern teaching and learning practices by fostering work-based and blended learning, leveraging digitalization as an instrument. S4J supports VET institutions in strengthening their internal processes and management, while also collaborating with industries and national authorities to update and diversify the VET offer, ensuring they align with labor market needs.

The project is in its third phase, S4J 3, which started in July 2023 and will last until June 2027. During this phase, the project aims to create training and employment opportunities for up to 29,400 Albanian women and men, including youth and special needs groups.

S4J will facilitate the horizontal transfer of key innovation objects/processes previously promoted in the project’s previous two phases, expanding their reach to other VET providers and companies, through capacitated and empowered transfer agents. This phase will focus on further consolidating and documenting these innovations to facilitate scaling, transfer, and institutionalization within the VET system, both in the public and private sector.

To achieve its objectives, the project has two primary areas of intervention with 3 specific key innovation objects each:

Component 1: Access to quality VET offer

  • Digitalization of VET Offer
  • Improvement of Internal Processes and Structures
  • Continuous Professional Development Models

Component 2: Private sector engagement in VET

  • Business relations and networks
  • Quality of work-based learning in companies
  • Diversification of offer and upskilling

The direct target groups that will benefit from S4J project in phase 3 are: 

  • Public VET providers in Albania,
  • Companies offering work-based learning to learners enrolled in the partner VET providers.
  • Business membership organizations engaging in the development of occupational and professional standards and frame curricula.

Interventions implemented in this phase aim to build an enabling environment that promotes the transferability and long-term sustainability of these innovation processes within the Albanian VET system.

Project partner

Ministry of Finance and Economy

Expected Results

  • Improved quality and relevance of the vocational skills development (VSD) so more young women and men are adequately trained for the labour market.
  • Increased participation of the private sector – in quantity and quality – in designing and delivering VSD in selected economy sectors in selected regions of Albania.
  • Facilitated matching between demand and supply in the labour market, focusing on young people.

Downloads

S4J Project Leaflet
3 MB
Launching and developing an apprenticeship system in Albania
6 MB
Monitoring and Results Measurement Manual - Skills for Jobs, Albania
2 MB

Project links

News

View all news from S4J
Albania
Initial vocational education and training
04.10.2024
Interview with Ruth Huber, Ambassador of Switzerland to Albania
Switzerland’s commitment to supporting countries like Albania in dual Vocational Education and Training (VET) is rooted in the belief that a well-qualified workforce is essential for sustainable economic growth. By blending theoretical learning with practical, hands-on experience, dual VET systems have proven to be highly effective in Switzerland and beyond. In an interview, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Albania, H.E. Ruth Huber explains that Switzerland's support helps countries such as Albania develop a modern, skill-based workforce that can respond to today's labor market demands while also contributing to broader goals like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those focused on quality education and decent work.
Learn more
Albania
Initial vocational education and training
03.11.2023
Tailoring Vocational Training and Private Sector Partnerships to Shape Tomorrow’s Workforce
The demand for professionals in the ICT field is continuously increasing, leading more students to choose this direction. They begin a transformative journey, which equips them with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to thrive in the digital age, through various experiences they create and opportunities offered to them during their educational path both within and outside school environments.
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Albania
Initial vocational education and training
20.07.2023
S4J in Albania embarks on Phase 3 with impressive impact on vocational education and training
Skills for Jobs (S4J), a Swisscontact-implemented project in Albania, celebrates a momentous achievement as Phase 2 comes to a successful close, marking the beginning of an exciting new era: Skills for Jobs Phase 3. Despite pandemic challenges, S4J has adapted swiftly to the tech-savvy generation's needs, resulting in an impressive 71.1% of vocational education and training graduates finding employment within a year after graduation or certification. This next phase centers on transferability, building upon previous accomplishments to create a sustainable system.
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