Support to Vocational Education and Training through Innovation in Albania

PEMA – Project of EMilia-Romagna for Albania

I.F.O.A as leader and special representative of a Temporary Association of Companies named PEMA (Project of EMilia-Romagna for Albania) consisting of A.E.C.A. and Ser.In.Ar. is partner of a consortium led by Emilia Romagna Regional Authority in collaboration with ART-ER Soc. Cons. P.A., in the implementation of the programme Institutional Technical Assistance to the Programme “Support to Vocational Education and Training through Innovation” Contract notice: VET 01/2018

Funded by a 5 million Euro soft loan (i.e. interest free) from the Government of Italy, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). Namely, the programme is part of the Italian-Albanian Protocol for Development (2014-2016) signed by the Italian Government represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania, represented by the former Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth (today Ministry of Economy and Finance – MEF).

«Pema» will represent an operational channel to transfer knowledge and competences in the realm of agro-food and agro mechanic oriented VET, based on the experience of Emilia-Romagna excellence Secondary Education Institutions.

The overall objective of the institutional technical assistance is to support MEF in policy advice and in the establishment of an agricultural multifunctional Vocational Education and Training Centre in the Fier Region in Albania, in order to increase the employability of VET graduates and to contribute to the enhancement of the country competitiveness in the agriculture and in the agro-food processing sectors.

The purpose of this institutional technical assistance is to enhance the institutional capacity of the MEF to develop a multifunctional VET centre in the Fier region, by building up a system of improved qualified skills responding to the needs of labor market and a sustainable sound system to monitor and evaluate the employment increase in the agricultural sector.

The expected results of the VET Programme are encompassed in a comprehensive approach to achieve the following:

Agricultural multifunctional centre (MFC) of excellence efficiently managed and organised in the Fier region;
VET and labour market oriented curricula developed;
Linkages of the multifunctional centre with the private sector, especially in the agriculture and agro-food processing sectors, enforced in the framework of a functioning dual system;
Coherence with IPA II financing to Employment and Skills Sector maximized (policy advice).

The project duration is of 45 months and will be implemented from January 2020 to September 2023.

The activities to be carried out are as below:

Activities related to Result 1: An agricultural multifunctional centre of excellence efficiently managed in Fier and the professional school of Lushnje duly re-qualified in the agro-mechanics sector.

Demonstration farm, cattle-shed, agro-food processing plant and laboratories equipment;
School Directive Board;
Human resources management (internal and external);
General training program;
Career service;
Quality Assurance;
Accreditation and certification;

Activities related to Result 2: An efficient and labour market oriented system of VET curricula is accurately put in place.

The Program will intervene in all of the three levels of VET offer in the Multifunctional Centre in order to be able to tackle all the skills gaps identified in the agriculture and agro-food processing sectors. The curricula selection and development are defined in close collaboration with the private sector which has the broader prospect of the market orientation. Specific activities include preparation and update the following curricula:

Secondary-level VET curricula;
Short term VET curricula;
Post-secondary VET curricula;
Training of trainers;

Activities related to Result 3: Efficient, tailor-made and sustainable relations of the multifunctional VET centre of excellence with the private sector, especially in the agriculture and agro-food processing sectors, are established.

VET school services to third parties;
Piloting the establishment of a Territorial VET and Employment Pact (TVETEP);

Activities related to Result 4: Coherence with IPA II financing to Employment and Skills Sector ensured.

Assist MEF in specific policy advice aiming at:

the design of relevant bylaws accompanying the new VET law in Albania;
the monitoring of the NESS 2019-2022;
assistance to the IPMG on Employment, Skills and Social Inclusion, on specific VET and employment issues;
the transfer of good practices in terms of adaptation of the dual system model to specific developing countries VET governance models.