Social Partnership in Vocational Education and Training in Albania

In the course of the still ongoing transition process the country has performed major structural and economic reforms. The Albanian economy, the labour market and individuals’ aspirations have undergone fundamental changes in the past years. The Vocational Education and Training (VET) system has generally not been in a position to keep pace with these developments. Good practice examples exist only in certain institutions and programmes that have benefited from sustained national, donor and/or private sector support. Numerous analytical and strategic papers have concluded that more systemic efforts are needed at this point to bring VET provision better in line with identified labour market demands. There is no sense of offering education and training for young people or adults, which is of little value for them in terms of becoming skilled workers or progressing on in education to develop higher levels of skills. Within this context, the definition of social partnership in VET is still unclear for both governments and the social partners themselves and is presently not seen as a mechanism for supporting decision making. Social partner organizations are poorly structured to deal with their new roles in VET. A combination of several factors still limits the effective participation in VET systems of social partners. In the conclusions of this study, it is important to know that the governance and decision-making capacities of social partners need to be improved, as well as their technical and operational knowledge of the vocational training sector. It is important to ensure that all potential misunderstandings and overlapping functions in this complex plethora of advising bodies are clarified as soon as possible. Careful revision of the roles and responsibilities of social partners that participate in a number of different councils can be a good starting point for acquiring a clear picture of potential overlaps.