Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at the opening of the Job Fair 2016

This fair, which has a short history because it opened just 2 years ago, is a very significant indicator of some of the simple truths concerning employment, the relationship between people and employment, and undoubtedly the constant effort of our government to create a solid bridge of interaction between business and jobseekers.

The fair is a space for exceptional information, in order to understand what is happening today in the labour market and also to look closely at the fact that the myth according to which only those who agree to be paid very little can work today, has been built on a very big lie. In this fair you can actually find all sorts of offers.

An impressive number of 800 immediate employments was recorded throughout the fair last year when entrepreneurship met job seekers here in this space, while some hundreds other employments were recorded on the days following the fair.

The novelty of this year is the collaboration of the fair with the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Municipality of Tirana, in addition to hosting twice the number of enterprises that attended it last year. From 70 enterprises that attended the fair last year, 130 successful enterprises in constant expansion are attending it this year in order to find qualified people who are willing to get a job. In addition, the fair is also attended by all stakeholders, from business to government, and by a number of public institutions of vocational education, as well as by academia.

8 thousand jobs are available to jobseekers here in this space. 130 enterprises gathered here provide 8 thousand jobs ranging from the sector of telecommunications and services to the manufacturing industry, the construction sector, the banking and insurance sectors and the food industry. This is a very stubborn proof of the fact that there are jobs in Albania, but we need skilled workers, and beyond the need for skilled employees we need to continue trying all together to break the big psychological barrier of the many people who are looking for a job, and the only place where they look for it is the public sector.

We have increased the funds to promote employment seven times. Our target for this year is to increase seven times the number of employees coming from specific programs of employment – three years ago there were only a few hundred people, actually less than those who were paid by the government for the entire employment system – and we have this year 6500 people from the employment promotion programs only. Not to mention mediation that the employment offices are willing to perform across the country for 31 thousand jobs. 31 thousand vacancies for employees of all categories, from lower to higher categories, for employees from the manufacturing sector to sectors that require degrees and postgraduate qualifications.

It is really regrettable and a very big problem which we have inherited, that 55% of the registered jobseekers are unskilled people or have attended only the 9-year education. Whereas 40% of the demands by the enterprise are for middle-level technicians and senior specialists, while the other 35% are for craftsmen. So, how can we meet the demand for work of 55% job seekers who go to the employment offices and declare that they have no profession and have attended only the 9-year education?

Of course, the employment offices are not the right place to make mediations of this nature. Just as it is clear that no illusion remains for this whole category of jobseekers, except for the simplest jobs and those they can find only in the construction sites. But it is clear that there should be hope also for these people. Therefore, we strongly believe that the turn we have taken by opening the lane of vocational education is the right political choice, and the right choice in a middle and of course long term. For this reason, in addition to the schools of vocational education which we will continue to support very strongly and open across the country, we will seriously invest in training with a duration of up to 6 months, so that future professionals will have a chance to learn on the workplace their profession, skills and everything related to the job they are going to perform.

I am very grateful for the cooperation with the entrepreneurship, I am very grateful for the special support of the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, especially of “Business Albania” who has been accompanying us in this process of transformation of the relationship between the government and the labour market and the new employment policies since the first day.

What I want to emphasize once again is the simple truth that in all the years that preceded our arrival in government, a mass laziness mass was sponsored and encouraged, and the lack of a structure and infrastructure of policies and professional teaching caused a catastrophic decline in the workforce quality, and a very large disconnect between supply and demand, between what the business needs and what the market of jobseekers offers.

If we look at the companies that have here, who have come a long way in a progressive work, taking into account from where they began, it is clear that we need many more skilled jobseekers. This is a major challenge that will require patience of course, it will require commitment, but also time.

The simple truth is that in this space, 8000 new jobs will be available for three days. Those who are looking for a job can come and try to get it through applications, interviews and mediation, as guaranteed by the National Labour Service who is here to facilitate communication between business and jobseekers.

 

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The Job Fair 2016 opened today in Tirana, as an event co-organized by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, the Municipality of Tirana, the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Tirana. 8 thousand jobs are offered by 130 enterprises, almost twice the number of businesses that attended the fair last year.

In this third edition, the fair has become a valuable space to get information on the labour market, in addition to attracting a growing number of employers and jobseekers. Leaders of business associations noted that this year as well the fair is showing that there are real opportunities for employment, and since companies are looking for skilled employees, they urged young people to aim at professions.

Employment offices across the country have 31 thousand vacancies made available by the partnership between employment offices, employers and jobseekers. This partnership has increased the interaction between business and new job seekers, and employment offices have become the first point of contact both for employers and jobseekers. This makes this partnership a functional mechanism which needs to be consolidated.

The fair was attended also by institutions of the public vocational training, who use this space to promote the importance of vocational training in the labour market.