© Helvetas

Albania

Albania lacks jobs, especially for young people. Helvetas promotes labor market development in the country. We also support municipalities throughout Albania in institutionalizing democratic processes and improving public services.
© Helvetas
  • Capital
    Tirana
  • Area
    28,748 km²
  • Poverty rate*
    1% of the population live under the poverty line of $1.90 per day
  • UN DEVELOPMENT INDEX*
    Rank: 67 out of 191
  • Population
    2,793,592
  • People supported per year
    15,000
  • Thematic focus
    Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion
    Learning & Innovation
    Education and Vocational Skills
    Advocacy
    Gender & Social Equity
    Urban Engagement
* Source: UN Data

The Western Balkans are booming. Despite this economic growth, however, youth unemployment remains a widespread problem. Dim future prospects induce many young Albanians to seek work abroad, which only exacerbates the situation in the country because companies can’t find skilled workers.

Cross-border support

Helvetas supports cross-border labor market development in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia) with a view to creating jobs for young people in particular. We focus our efforts not only on stimulating the private sector, but also on boosting job-hunting services such as online employment portals. We also support various vocational training programs for young people.

TV infotainment shows for young people

Helvetas has been working in Albania since 2006. Over these years, Helvetas has sometimes resorted to innovative forms of job market development: in Albania and Kosovo, for example, we work with public and private stakeholders to help young people by providing them with the skills required and right career guidance for choosing a career and looking for a job.

The new Eastern European democracies are still quite fragile in a number of areas. Corruption is widespread, the legal systems are ineffectual, and authoritarian tendencies are increasingly resurgent in a number of countries. So Helvetas is working closely with local authorities to support institutional reforms and promote democracy. The object is to make public services more reliable and accessible, especially to sections of the population that are discriminated against.

Shoring up local authorities

As in the rest of the Western Balkans, corruption is widespread in Albania. Regardless of the recent reform in the judiciary, the legal systems are ineffectual and authoritarian/populist tendencies are increasingly resurgent. Helvetas is working to strengthen local authorities and thereby promote democracy. From 2001 to 2011, Helvetas was active in Albania with a project to promote decentralization and build up municipal structures. Helvetas resumed this involvement in 2014.

Visit the website of Helvetas Albania.

Our Projects in Albania

 If you would like to know more about our work in Albania, click on each project for details.

© DLDP
Albania Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Building Confidence in Local Government

© Helvetas / Armand Habazaj
Albania, Serbia Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Social Sciences for a Better Society

Albania Private Sector Development

Making Markets Work for the Youth

© Helvetas / Arben Llapashtica
Armenia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Montenegro Education and Vocational Skills

Building Economies Where All Can Prosper

Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

In many countries where we work, men and women are unable to claim their rights and participate actively in decision-making processes.

Education and Vocational Skills

Lack of education perpetuates inequality because poor countries cannot compete economically without a skilled workforce.

Learning & Innovation

Building the capacities of staff and partners to effectively share what they know, to learn together and create effective solutions is crucial to our success.
Contact

HELVETAS ALBANIA
Helvetas Eastern Europe Unit
Maulbeerstr. 10
3010 Bern
Switzerland

Phone:+41 31 385 10 10
E-Mail: easterneurope@helvetas.org