Skills for sustainable jobs in Kosovo

Context

Since 2008, Luxembourg has been a key partner in helping Kosovo improve its vocational education and training (VET) system. Through a series of ongoing projects, it supports vocational education and training providers by developing curricula, training teachers and managers, providing modern equipment, and renovating or building new facilities, including a Vocational Training Institute for information and communication technology (ICT) currently under construction in the capital, Pristina. These efforts contribute to the development of national education strategies and strengthen institutions such as the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and vocational training agencies.

Despite some economic growth, Kosovo continues to face high unemployment, particularly among women and young people. Many Kosovars enter the workforce without the skills required by employers. The education system struggles to keep up with the labor market demands, and VET institutions often lack up-to-date curricula and appropriate facilities for hands-on practical training. A national audit from 2020 highlights significant gaps in connecting training to job opportunities, including outdated occupational standards and weak partnerships with businesses to provide student internships.

Objectives

To address these challenges, the Skills for sustainable jobs in Kosovo project focuses on improving youth employability by providing training aligned with labour market needs, especially in fast-growing fields such as the ICT and renewable energy / energy efficiency (ER/EE) sectors. The project’s main goal is to promote inclusive economic growth and improve access to decent jobs by strengthening both initial and continuing vocational training.

The project works across four main results areas:

• cooperation between the private sector and VET institutions is strengthened by incentivising private sector involvement;
• the ICT and RE/EE sectors are strengthened in VET institutions in collaboration with MESTI;
• research skills in ICT are enhanced;
• lifelong learning in RE/EE, ICT and other priority areas is developed and implemented through short-term training programmes, with a particular focus on women.

Beneficiaries and stakeholders

Key beneficiaries include various ministries, with MESTI serving as the main national counterpart. Executive agencies such as the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education and the Employment Agency, along with the National Qualifications Authority, Municipal Directorates for Education, municipal VET institutions, and Centres of Competence, also benefit from the intervention. The private sector – including ICT business associations and NGOs – plays an active role as both a stakeholder and a beneficiary.

At the individual level, the project targets young people aged 15 to 19, adult learners, unemployed individuals, VET professionals, employers, members of civil society, disadvantaged groups, and members of the diaspora.

By aiming to improve the performance of the vocational education and training system, the project seeks to create lasting economic and social impact – empowering youth and women across the country, engaging a wide range of national and local institutions, strengthening ties with the private sector in key growth areas such as ICT and renewable energy, and ultimately contributing to a more inclusive, innovative and greener future for all 1.6 million citizens of Kosovo.