National Employment Service (NES) is working extensively to strengthen its ties with business for better and more job offers. RisiAlbania in close cooperation with NES, developed methodology of cooperation with business and regional labour market analysis, to support this process. The developed methodology was piloted in the labour office of Elbasan. The specialists of this office were trained and afterwards the methodology was applied directly to business community in Elbasan where first results of the methodology were noticed.

The piloting process, its findings and recommendations for continuity of work were presented in a workshop in Elbasan. Specialists and directors from 12 regional offices were engaged in brainstorming sessions to analyze the results, the applicability of the methodology to other labor offices and potential challenges. As in the words of specialists of piloting labor office: “The methodology offers a systemized approach to increasing cooperation with business and to better understand and respond to labour market needs”.

Such methodology and its tools offer to NES labor offices the opportunity to be highly aware of the labor market needs, to anticipate skills’ gaps and address them, like orienting the offer of vocational training centers.

National Employment Service is in the process of shifting to National Agency for Employment and Skills and as a growing organization, taking a methodologic, institutionalized approach is not only important but a necessity. As such, it is a very good momentum for the application of this manual, as it supports the growth and allows for a unified approach throughout the labor offices.