At ‘Skills for Jobs’ we understand the importance of applied VET programs, delivered in partnership with the private sector. Since the start of the 2018-2019 academic year, partner VET providers have actively engaged in placing the new cohort of students in apprenticeships in business.

By beginning of January 2019, most students enrolled in the 10^th grade had either been matched with a business or already started their apprenticeship program. A new challenge lied on VET schools: providing apprenticeship opportunities also for students from other school years, enrolled in other vocational directions and profiles.

To achieve this objective, S4J supported partner VET providers in drafting a plan, which indicated clearly the next steps to be undertaken, from identifying new partners and understanding their needs for apprentices to explaining the apprenticeship process and organizing matching events. Meetings with apprentices’ parents were valued very important from businesses, as parents are thought to have an important role in the delivery of quality apprenticeships.

1420 students in 5 regions of Albania had been successfully placed into apprenticeships by the end of February. During this period, the number of partners supporting VET increased to 422. That’s very great news for the VET system in Albania!