LocationsUNDP Albania
Adela and Xhuliana: Finding Their Footing in Korçë Labor Market
November 10, 2025
The EU4LMI — EU for Labour Market Inclusion project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Albania in partnership with the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Albanian Disability Rights Foundation, is giving people a way out — with dignity.
UNDP Albania
Adela and Xhuliana are two young women from Korçë who never gave up hope — even when opportunity seemed far out of reach.
Their stories, though unique, share a common thread: the struggle to find a foothold in a challenging labour market. They represent many Albanians, especially young mothers, facing barriers to employment.
Adela’s life revolves around her three daughters — and the constant challenge of providing for them alone. As a divorced mother with limited support in Korçë, she often felt isolated and unseen.
“I felt invisible,” Adela confesses. “The world moves on, but when you have no one to lean on, it’s easy to be left behind.”
Everything changed when Adela learned about the EU4LMI (EU for Labour Market Inclusion) project. Through tailored counselling sessions provided by ARSIS — with support from an EU4LMI grant — she discovered her strengths and found the confidence to take her next big step.
With ARSIS’s guidance, Adela has now enrolled in the Agrobusiness programme at “Fan S. Noli” University of Korçë — laying the foundation for a secure future for her family.
“I finally feel like I’m building something lasting for my girls,” she says, smiling.
Xhuliana’s path has been one of quiet perseverance. Raised by her grandmother, she completed a two-year diploma in Veterinary Management — but struggled to turn her education into employment.
“I had the qualification, but I didn’t know how to connect with people who needed my skills,” she recalls.
The project’s six-month counselling cycle became her turning point. Beyond interview techniques and job-seeking skills, it helped her understand how to present herself and market her expertise in a competitive world.
Through tailored counselling sessions provided by ARSIS — with support from an EU4LMI grant — Adela and Xhuliana discovered their strengths and found the confidence to take their next big step.
UNDP Albania
Today, Xhuliana is taking charge of her future. She has launched a professional profile on social media, offering her services as a veterinary technician — transforming her education into a growing digital practice.
“This is my start,” she says. “I’m not waiting anymore — I’m moving forward.”
The stories of Adela and Xhuliana are no longer hidden in statistics — they are living proof that behind every number lies a human journey. The EU4LMI project shows how targeted interventions can help individuals rewrite their futures.
It’s a story of transformation — one that begins with opportunity, grows through transparency, and blossoms into hope.
Because when change is visible, it becomes something everyone can believe in.
In Korçë, ARSIS is one of the grantees of the #EU4LMI project, focusing on implementing a program for reintegration of vulnerable individuals through intensive counceling, which aims to reach 80 beneficiaries — including 40 NEET youth (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), 20 people receiving economic aid, and around 20 young mothers.
Through ARSIS, this group benefits from a wide range of services, including intensive personalized career counselling, skills training, mentoring to enhance employability of the targeted individuals, in close collaboration with the National Employment Office, the Social Services Directorate of the Korçë Municipality, Regional State Social Services and VET institutions.
ARSIS also serves as an information bridge between the private sector and local authorities, helping match job seekers with available opportunities.
Five months into implementation, the project is showing tangible results.
“We are very happy to see concrete progress in Korçë, where the demand for employment among vulnerable groups is high and growing,” says Roberta Profka, Programme Director. “Through our support — from coaching and intensive training to self-awareness and concrete employment opportunities — people are finding real pathways forward. So far, we have helped around ten young mothers find work as caregivers for the elderly and children, and several NEET youth have enrolled in vocational schools or professional training courses. This model proves that when local stakeholders join forces, the most vulnerable groups benefit from inclusive labour market measures.”
The EU4LMI — EU for Labour Market Inclusion project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Albania in partnership with the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Albanian Disability Rights Foundation, is giving people a way out — with dignity.
Working hand in hand with the National Agency for Employment and Skills (AKPA), State Social Services, municipalities, and 12 civil society organizations across 19 municipalities — such as ARSIS — EU4LMI is bridging the gap between exclusion and opportunity.
The project focuses on those often left behind with limited education, low confidence, and little access to formal jobs. But instead of offering quick fixes, EU4LMI builds long-term empowerment: personalized counselling, job-coaching and training, social support, job matching, and direct connections to employers.
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