Skills for Jobs (S4J) Brings Swiss Expertise to Enhance Leadership Capacity in Vocational Schools

In collaboration with the National Agency for Employment and Skills, Skills for Jobs (S4J) conducted a training in April titled “The Role of Leadership in Digital Transformation in Vocational Education and Training.” Leading the session was Prof. Emanuel Wüthrich from the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training (SFUVET), who focused on the crucial role of school leaders in cultivating a positive and sustainable culture for digitalization. This is a key prerequisite for effectively engaging Generation Z through educational technologies.

The training addressed topics such as symmetrical pedagogy, emotional leadership, school learning culture, and the characteristics of Generation Z. Open discussions and group work fostered significant reflections on the necessary mindset shift as the foundation for digital transformation.

Hands-on Teacher Training in Canva, Articulate Rise, and Kahoot

March marked the second round of practical training sessions focusing on three digital tools: Canva, Articulate Rise, and Kahoot. Teachers from vocational schools in Shkodër, Lezhë, and Elbasan showcased their creations, received expert feedback, and explored advanced features like microlearning and AI-powered quiz creation. Participants demonstrated significant growth in their digital competencies and increased motivation to apply these tools in the classroom.

Shared Experiences, New Insights: The Training on Hybrid Learning Boosts Teacher Motivation

An interactive and comprehensive training on hybrid learning in March brought together teachers from post-secondary programs at the Technical Economic School in Tirana to reflect on and share best practices for modernizing the learning process at this level of vocational education.

Group work addressed important topics such as infrastructure and teaching methodologies (flipped classroom, project-based learning, and case studies), with teachers offering their suggestions on practical aspects.

S4J will continue its support in this area through a mentoring program that includes practical simulations and small group work. The next step will be to build the capacity of teachers to apply elements of hybrid learning in adult education programs offered within the post-secondary courses at the Technical Economic School in Tirana.

Electronic Archives: Positive Practices in Modern VET Documentation

During November and December, S4J partner schools took a significant step towards modernizing administrative processes by establishing or further developing electronic archives on MësoVET. 54 teachers and administrators from vocational school management teams participated in training followed by practical mentoring sessions at each school.

The program’s main focus included:

• Creating and organizing digital documentation spaces
• Classifying files by topic (plans, minutes, student data)
• Technical guidelines for data security and efficient platform access

As a result, all six schools created and further structured their digital archives – a concrete step towards more transparent, efficient, and modern administration.

More Advanced Skills for Greater Impact: Digitalization Coordinators Empowered to Administer MësoVET

To strengthen their role as technical and pedagogical support within schools, Digitalization Coordinators from six S4J partner schools participated in an intensive training on the administration of the MësoVET platform in December.

This online training, conducted by experts from “Wide Services,” focused on building concrete skills to help them:

• Create digital courses with structured modules
• Implement advanced activities such as workshops and moderated debates
• Develop personalized lessons and interactive learning scenarios
• Create databases for documentation and manage user registration

The Digitalization Coordinators will serve as mentors to new ICT specialists expected to be appointed in vocational schools.

Students Learn for the Future: Webinar on Lifelong Learning

In December, approximately 30 students from six partner schools participated in the webinar “How Online Learning Supports Sustainable Professional Development,” an activity that highlighted the crucial role of lifelong learning and digital skills development for the job market.

Moderators presented the opportunities offered by the MësoVET platform for independent and interactive learning. Students shared their experiences with digital tools through a simple Padlet exercise, creating a collaborative and inspiring atmosphere. Finally, an interactive Kahoot game helped students consolidate new knowledge in an engaging way.

“It made me think differently about online learning – not just for school, but for life!” one participant said.