Albania

The course on basic didactics in vocational education and training should be made compulsory for all new teachers and instructors that lack initial pedagogical training. It is also recommended that the length of this course should be extended in the medium term to cover additional topics.

Guidance should be provided and staff time set aside so that all schools in Albania can offer mentoring to their teachers.

In order to enable NAVETQ to fulfil its new coordination function with regard to VET teacher training, the necessary legal acts should be adopted. Furthermore, NAVETQ needs to be equipped with adequate additional human and financial resources.

School Development Units should be empowered to address the development needs of teachers and vocational schools.

Targeted continuing professional development and collaborative work should be used to generate instructional materials (see also R.5).

Considering the low educational attainment and skills levels of many people who have already left school, it is recommended that a new type of recuperative, second-chance education and training programme for adults be set up. Such a programme would combine basic Albanian language, maths, foreign language and ICT skills with vocational skills. The main focus of such a scheme would be less on completing formal education, but rather on the economic empowering of people, building on their existing skills and aspirations. Further, apprenticeship schemes for adults could help to foster integration into the labour market.

It is proposed that a national VET provider development plan should be formulated to take a holistic view of individual, social and economic needs. Particular attention should be paid to providing an attractive mix of study programmes (in particular for girls and students with a weaker academic background); better and affordable transport facilities; more and safer dormitories; and improved access to school facilities for students with disabilities. Further, the government could consider extending scholarship programmes in order to improve access to vocational education and training.

For a better understanding of the phenomenon of young people leaving education early in Albania, it is recommended that the system be monitored more closely with a view to answering the following questions: Who is leaving the system? When are students leaving the system? Why are students leaving the system?

More and better data will also help to design the mix of both preventative measures and initiatives that focus on the reintegration of early school leavers.