Sector skills committees, introducing partnerships for relevant skills
Equipping young people with job related skills in the sectors of ICT, Tourism and Agribusiness is one of the challenges RisiAlbania is addressing by working with private non-formal training providers. A key element for the project in this process is the establishment of the Sector Skills Committees where Risi has closely cooperated with the inter-institutional Task Force of the Albanian Qualification Framework (AQF) in designing the model and piloting it for an economic sector. The completion and finalization of the sublegal framework for setting up sectorial counsels and piloting a sector are key for the success of the project and have opened the ground for further progress. For this purpose, RisiAlbania has aimed to develop the capacities of the AQF Task Force, through exposure to contemporary practices and continue further with the piloting in an economic sector.
In this view, RisiAlbania in collaboration with the National Agency for Vocational Education, Training and Qualification, organized a study visit with the Task Force representatives for the Sector Skills Councils, in Lisbon, Portugal, on September 17th – 21st. The Portuguese model was recommended by the European Training Foundation as a suitable model for Albania.
The task force was led by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Economy and Employment, Mrs. Dajna Sorensen and represented by several institutions, such as Ministry of Tourism and Environment, National Agency for Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training, National School of Hospitality and Tourism, University of Tirana, Albanian Tourism Association and Trade Union which get acquainted with the role and function of the sector skills committees of tourism sector, identified as a priority economic sector by the Albanian Government.
Members of the Albanian Task Force had the opportunity to meet and exchange experience and challenges with the Portuguese representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, the Confederation of Portuguese Business, the National Agency for Qualification and VET; the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training; the Association for Training in Industry; the Tourism Agency of Portugal; the Portuguese Confederation of Commerce and Services (CCP) and the General Workers’ Union.
The task force representatives were informed on the Portuguese model and considered it valuable in identifying what best practices could be adapted to the Albanian model. Further steps will follow up the visit in order to start the piloting process.
The study visit was organized under the guidance of the European Training Foundation and the support of the Portuguese National Agency for Qualification and VET.