Beyond Barriers Association held on 8 June 2018, the first National Forum on Youth Employment in Albania, part of the Web4YES project. The meeting brought together 20 actors from the central and local governmental institutions, local CSO-s working with youth employment, international organizations, youth networks, and representatives of career centers of private universities.
The aim of the meeting was to establish a group of experts that can consult, share, contribute and collaborate during the lifetime of the project as well as to introduce the forum with the draft reports on Active Labor Market Measures and Youth Employability boosting.
During this meeting, the forum members were introduced to the project “Western Balkan Civil Society Organizations for Youth Employment Support”, its aim, objectives, approach and activity packages and on the important role that this national forum shall play for a better implementation and support structure on issues of concern to all the guests invited.
Representatives of Tirana Municipality, the Director of Directory of Employability Boosting, shared the experience on the ALMMs that are currently being implemented in local level and the challenges faced to reach the end beneficiaries. As highlighted the Tirana Municipality example is a positive one when it comes to boosting employability through active labor measures, though a big challenge is faced in implementation, when targeting youth with the disability or those from rural areas. Reaching these two target groups and specifically motivating them to be part of these programs, becomes very difficult due to different aspects of overall infrastructure as well. As well it was stated that the better and wider promotion of these measures and programs is somehow lacking in country level, while in Tirana it is easier to approach it as the city is home to a high majority of young people as well as because the Municipality of Tirana has a more direct approach and outreach towards its citizens. Swisscontact representatives also highlighted and explained the model they are using in these regards and the whole investment that the project Skills4Jobs is giving in employability boosting in the country. Lack of online data and statistics in national level was also one of the mentioned and discussed issues. A clear need for more collaboration among all sectors was expressed.
Other representatives who attended the meeting were Main Directory of National Employment Service, RYCO Local Branch of Tirana, National Council of Civil Society, Swisscontact, World Vision, National Youth Congress, Albanian National Youth Network, Together for Life association, Roma Active Albania, Erasmus Mundus Association and Career Centre of European University of Tirana. All of the actors comprising of public and local administration, CSO sector and Universities, have a direct focus on employability issues with and for youth all over the country.
