Vocational education and training is attracting a growing number of young people annually as a real employment opportunity in a labor market consistently in need for skilled workers. A series of direct investments have been made to boost vocational education institutions across the country over the past years, whereas a growing number of graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes have found employment thanks to the close collaboration between the employment service offices and various private businesses.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Economy Anila Denaj, visited today the newly reconstructed building of “Gjergj Canco” vocational school in Tirana, specializing in the ICT, Electro-technics and Electric with a combined enrolment of more than 800 students.

Finance and Economy Minister said that government has invested 156 million lek in renovation of this school building, highlighting also the fact that the government support for the vocational education and training system has been coupled with a 40 percent growth in the number of students enrolling vocational schools over the past four years.

“The number of students attending work-based learning and training programs in various businesses has increased and it is a significant accomplishment that 49% of the vocational education graduates have taken up jobs in these very businesses where they perform the work-based learning program, while many others are already writing their letters of motivations and CV-s to enter the labour market. Only 20% of vocational education graduates enrol in universities. Their direct entry into the workforce as qualified professionals in a variety of trades is a great achievement,” the school’s principal said.

The government head noted that the need for professionals in all trades to meet the needs of the Reconstruction Program has prompted the government to issue an appeal to all these students to join in the work front for reconstruction.

“We will invite vocational education students in the third and fourth year of education program to join the Reconstruction Program by taking up jobs in the rebuilding sites as we really need for qualified and skilled workers and you will certainly be entitled to benefit full salary. We will do utmost to make sure that the construction firms that will involve in the reconstruction process will pay high salaries. In the meantime, you will also help us a lot since we are short of skilled workers and professionals and you will add this working experience in your professional curriculum vitae,” PM Rama said.

Minister Denaj said that to this end intense work is being done with the National Employment and Vocational Education Agency. “We are restructuring the Agency and inclusion of the Reconstruction Program for both vocational education schools and vocational training programs is of a special importance,” Denaj said.

According to school officials, a growing number of both local and foreign companies are showing increased interest in this vocational education school, recently renovated and equipped with the state-of-the-art labs to meet highest modern standards.