Youth unemployment, an ongoing priority for Albania has been the main target of RisiAlbania, an innovative Swiss. To showcase results, impact and discuss future common challenges, the project hosted an event, in the presence of the presence of H.E. Adrian Maitre, Swiss Ambassador to Albania, Mrs. Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, Minister of Tourism and Environmentand Mr. Arlind Gjokuta, Secretary General at Ministry of Finance and Economy.

More than 100 representatives of public and private institutions in Albania shall gathered to discuss on the topic of youth employment in Albania and the contribution of the Swiss supported project, RisiAlbania. Youth unemployment is one of the main challenges in Albania, estimated as 26.6% as per INSTAT data of 2020 and it remains one of the priorities of the country to deal with.

“As Albania prepares for the European market, setting standards is a key moment. International standards are key to tourism, including environmental issues, standards are also key to retaining visitors. The lack of qualified staff is a challenge. If there is one element that guarantees success is a good coordination between the public and the private sector “- said Adrian Maître, Ambassador of Switzerland to Albania.

Mrs. Mirela Kumbaro, Minister of Tourism and Environment emphasized the models developed by Risi’s partners in tourism and stressed that tourism is a good way to increase employment, while announcing the expansion from 18 to 23% of protected areas, including the Vjosa Valley.

Throughout these 8 years, RisiAlbania has worked with almost 80 public and private institutions in Albania to introduce innovative and sustainable ways of doing business, as the only way to create and sustain new jobs for the young. The project works to create more and better job opportunities by working on 3 main directions, i.e. development of private sector in Albania, introduction and improvement of career guidance services and intermediations and finally skills development to match demands from businesses.

The project and its partners have managed to create 3’000 full time jobs for young women and men in Albania, and leveraged 15.5 million EUR, through interventions in the sectors of Agribusiness, Tourism and ICT.

Risi has been working to pioneer and prove innovations and to expand it to the wider Albanian non-public non-formal training sector, in Tourism and ICT. Thanks to an enhanced training offer in tourism and ICT in terms of relevance, outreach, and inclusiveness, more than 900 young people have found a job after training or upgraded their position.

Finally, career guidance services in Albania are either non-existent or at an early phase. RisiAlbania has worked in this direction to ensure young people take informed career decisions, thanks to career services at community, university, and private sector level, as well as through improved intermediation services at public level.

Within the next 4 years, building on the approach from the previous couple of phases, RisiAlbania and its partners will continue to contribute also in future to the creation of employment opportunities for young people in Albania.