The Architecture of Inclusion: Turning Policy into Pulse

UNDP Albania

April 15, 2026

The Architecture of Inclusion: Turning Policy into Pulse

UNDP Albania

Author

Nora Kushti

Communications Specialist, UNDP Albania

We say it often: a country is only as strong as the way it treats its most vulnerable.

It’s a phrase repeated in conferences, printed in annual reports, and affirmed in seminar rooms with knowing nods. But what does it truly look like in practice?

Beyond the ink of strategy papers and the sterile data of project reports lies a living, breathing reality. This is where policy becomes personal. These are the stories of impact—real people who embody the transition from “vulnerable” to capable.

I am happy to bring you stories of people supported through the HAP Network (Haven of Apprenticeships and Placements), an initiative implemented by Jonathan Center Albania and Special Needs Albania in the context of the EU for Labor Market Inclusion Programme. This is what happens when inclusion moves beyond rhetoric—and becomes something we deliberately build.

For young adults like Stela and Kristian the labor market was never just a place to earn a wage. It was a distant, unfamiliar world—one they had never been given the tools to navigate.

Stela, a young woman from Tirana with an intellectual disability, began her work journey in maintenance training. At first, everything felt overwhelming—noisy, complex, and emotionally demanding. Shyness and sensitivity made decision-making feel like an impossible climb.

But through the HAP Network, things changed.

With consistent guidance, Stela didn’t just learn how to maintain a building—she learned how to sustain her confidence. Today, the young woman who once relied on constant repetition is being considered for a position at Tirana International Airport.

Kristian’s journey followed a similar path. As a trainee bartender, the service industry presented a maze of multi-step processes. Even making a single coffee felt overwhelming, and frustration came easily. Yet with patience and structured support, Kristian found his rhythm. There is a quiet dignity in the moment he now slides a coffee across the bar—independently, skillfully, and with a smile. Like Stela, his path is leading toward opportunities at the airport, proving that an intellectual disability is not a ceiling, but simply a different starting point.

Inclusion is not only about mastering tasks, it is also about finding emotional ground. For Erisa Alizoti, a young woman on the autism spectrum, the world could feel overwhelming. Social anxiety and crowded environments often resembled a storm she could not escape. Through service-sector training, Erisa gained more than technical skills. She learned a language of emotional regulation. With the support of a structured and understanding environment, the storm began to settle. What once felt chaotic became manageable. Today, her mother watches with quiet emotion as Erisa navigates high-pressure situations with growing confidence and calm. For Erisa, the most tangible outcome is simple yet profound: the ability to stand in a room full of strangers and feel that she belongs.

Ledisa discovered her calling during an internship and chose to stay, becoming a steady anchor within the program. Now working at Mercedes-Benz Albania, she focuses on identifying each individual’s unique strengths—their “superpowers”—and ensuring that workplaces become environments of stability and growth, not just productivity.

UNDP Albania

Policies do not transform lives on their own. Change happens through people—the ones who translate strategy into action.

Blerta and Ledisa represent a new generation of professionals: Job Coaches who turn inclusion from a concept into a daily practice. Blerta, currently pursuing her Master’s degree, recalls the uncertainty of her early days. One moment stands out: working with a young man with Down syndrome who was initially terrified of washing dishes. Step by step, she guided him through the task.

She didn’t just help clean a plate—she helped restore confidence.

Ledisa discovered her calling during an internship and chose to stay, becoming a steady anchor within the program.

Now working at Mercedes-Benz Albania, she focuses on identifying each individual’s unique strengths—their “superpowers”—and ensuring that workplaces become environments of stability and growth, not just productivity.

Why is integration important?

The HAP Network serves as a vital bridge between jobseekers with disabilities and employers such as Bar Xhoni and Mercedes-Benz Albania. It demonstrates a simple but powerful truth: when systems are inclusive, ability rises to the surface.

Integrating people with disabilities into the labor market is an act of justice and of economic intelligence.
It brings tangible benefits:

Families gain hope and stability.
Employers gain dedicated, capable, and loyal team members.
Society gains a new perspective—recognizing that those often labeled “vulnerable” are, in fact, remarkably resilient.

When we open the labor market to everyone, we do more than change individual lives—we reshape the character of a nation.

Stela, Kristian, and Erisa are no longer stories on paper. They are employees, colleagues, and contributors to a country that is beginning to live up to its promise.

How Did We Get Here?

In 2023, with funding from the European Union, UNDP launched the EU4LMI programme. Through this programme, young people with disabilities in Albania are stepping confidently into the world of work—marking a smart, forward-looking investment in the country’s future.

The project directly supports Albania’s EU accession priorities by expanding employment opportunities, strengthening skills, and building a more inclusive labor market—cornerstones of European integration.

The results speak clearly:

During 2025. 1130 vulnerable jobseekers have enrolled in Active Labour Market Programmes out of whom 583 completed programs such as intensive counceling towards employment, basic and soft skills and supported employment and skills development.
223 jobseekers with disabilities were enrolled in supported employment and skills development programs, incorporating job coaches and mentors out of whom 83 completed the program
56 jobseekers with disabilities are activated in the labour market are employed/self-employed, employed through NAES active employment programs.

Edlira Papavangjeli, the Project Manager says: “These outcomes highlight what truly works: tailored, personalized support that leads to real employment—not just temporary participation”.

EU4LMI collaborates closely with the National Agency of Employment and Skills, State Social Services, social care services at municipalities, and 12 civil society organizations across 19 municipalities—ensuring that support reaches people where they are, both geographically and socially.