Economic Perspectives

Helvetas Albania empowers people by enhancing skills, creating employment opportunities, and generating sustainable income. With a strong commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, we support institutions, businesses, and communities to thrive and contribute to long‑term wellbeing.

Increasing Employment Opportunities for Youth

  • Youth Employment Focus Helvetas Albania is committed to increasing employment opportunities for young people aged 15–29 by fostering growth and job creation in agribusiness, tourism, and ICT sectors. Through systemic initiatives like RisiAlbania, youth are positioned as innovators in high-potential industries, ensuring Albania’s workforce is future-ready and inclusive of women and marginalized groups.

  • Access to Opportunities The organization improves access to job opportunities and labor market information/services, ensuring that young people can make informed career choices. RisiAlbania mainstreams career guidance and labor market intermediation nationally, with a strong emphasis on reaching young women and disadvantaged communities who often face barriers to entry.

  • Skills Development Helvetas Albania enhances the skills of young people through collaboration with private training providers, aligning training with market demand. By embedding systemic approaches from RisiAlbania, youth gain practical competencies that increase employability, while targeted inclusion strategies ensure equal access for women and vulnerable groups.

Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development

  • Knowledge & Practices Helvetas Albania promotes inclusive and green economic development by scaling proven models such as RisiAlbania’s labor market interventions and Circular Hub’s bio‑waste financing. At the same time, we have introduced and strengthened EU market standards in key sectors such as agriculture, ICT, tourism, and vocational training, ensuring Albanian enterprises and workers are competitive in European value chains. This combination of knowledge transfer, circular innovation, and EU compliance delivers both social and environmental impact, with inclusion at the core.

  • Systemic Improvements The organization addresses common economic problems and facilitates improvements in economic systems, creating a more resilient and adaptive economy. By embedding reforms from RisiAlbania and circular economy practices, Helvetas Albania ensures that improvements are institutionalized, while gender-sensitive policies guarantee equitable participation.

  • Environmental Sustainability Helvetas Albania ensures that economic growth aligns with sustainability principles across environmental, social, and market dimensions. The bio‑waste financing illustrates ecological innovation for business ideas, while throughout the years we have promoted sustainable and viable business models such as the adoption of GSTC standards in Albania and supporting the government’s membership in the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. In agriculture, we have facilitated the transition from wild harvesting of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) to cultivation, strengthening ecological balance and long‑term economic viability. This holistic approach demonstrates sustainability beyond the environment, embedding resilience into waste management, tourism, agriculture, and inclusive market systems.

Innovation & Commitment

  • Innovative Approaches Helvetas Albania introduces modern tools and methodologies for financial planning, performance monitoring, and citizen engagement. RisiAlbania mainstreams innovation in labor markets, while Circular Hub demonstrates how circular economy models can be scaled nationally, with inclusion embedded as a driver of innovation.

  • Long-Term Partnerships Sustained collaboration with ministries, municipalities, and systemic actors ensures reforms are institutionalized and locally owned. Partnerships forged through RisiAlbania and Circular Hub exemplify Helvetas Albania’s commitment to continuity, while alliances with women’s organizations and civil society reinforce social inclusion.

Regional Scope

Helvetas Albania’s governance expertise contributes to broader Eastern and Southeast Europe reforms, aligning with Helvetas’ work in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and beyond, while tailoring solutions to Albania’s decentralization journey. This regional presence allows Helvetas to share lessons across borders and strengthen democratic and economic resilience throughout the region.