LocationsUNDP Albania
#EU4Youth: The Youth Guarantee at Work—Creating Pathways to Employment and Learning
April 30, 2025
Young participants at the Youth Innovation Challenge
UNDP Albania
Imagine being a young person in Albania today: full of dreams yet facing a labyrinthine path ahead. Youth unemployment stands at 21.7% in Albania. One in four young people sits outside education, employment, or training. Yet, a new spark of opportunity is visible across Tirana, Shkodër, and Vlorë Municipalities.
Albania’s Youth Guarantee programme, implemented by the National Agency for Employment and Skills, with technical assistance from the EU for Youth (#EU4Youth) project, pledges that any young person under 30 not in employment, education, or training in the three pilot municipalities in Albania will receive a job, traineeship, apprenticeship, or educational offer within four months of registration with employment offices. It targets Albania’s toughest youth hurdles.
The project funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF, supports the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Culture; the Minister of State for Youth and Children; the Ministry of Education and Sports; the National Agency of Employment and Skills; the National Youth Agency; and other government agencies in implementing reforms related to the Youth Guarantee. It also focuses on co-creating and implementing solutions together with CSOs, businesses, and youth themselves—from green-economy apprenticeships to dropout-prevention systems in schools—offering a lifeline to a generation eager to move forward.
How does the project work? “Beyond providing technical support throughout the key components of the Youth Guarantee reform, EU4Youth ensures sustained, on-the-ground impact through local outreach coordinators. The three coordinators are placed in the employment offices of the three pilot municipalities, where they collaborate closely with staff to reach the most vulnerable youth while also fostering cooperation with youth organizations, municipalities, and other local institutions”-explains Jona Dundo, Project Manager at EU4Youth.
Jona Dundo, Project Manager at EU4Youth.
UNDP Albania
How does the project work? “Beyond providing technical support throughout the key components of the Youth Guarantee reform, EU4Youth ensures sustained, on-the-ground impact through local outreach coordinators. The three coordinators are placed in the employment offices of the three pilot municipalities, where they collaborate closely with staff to reach the most vulnerable youth while also fostering cooperation with youth organizations, municipalities, and other local institutions”-explains Jona Dundo, Project Manager at EU4Youth.
Jonida Lika, Head of Youth Guarantee, at the National Agency for Employment and Skills.
UNDP Albania
Jonida Lika, Head of Youth Guarantee, at the National Agency for Employment and Skills, says: "The #EU4Youth project will launch youth-focused services to integrate into the labor system, addressing current gaps in coordination. We’ll develop an institutional model to connect with young people innovatively—enabling them to engage with us or us to reach them. All new approaches will be formalized to ensure long-term impact and continuity."
Mimoza Kallaçi, Employment Office in Shkodër
UNDP Albania
Mimoza Kallaçi, Employment Office in Shkoder, says, “Appointing a Youth Guarantee coordinator has been great. They’ve filled staffing gaps and devised outreach plans that finally let us reach remote villages. Now, specialists meet local groups alongside the coordinator—and youth applications from far-flung corners have surged.”
Pranvera Mehmeti, Employment Office in Tirana
UNDP Albania
Pranvera Mehmeti, Employment Office in Tirana, underlines, “Partnerships with NGOs, businesses, and other entities have opened doors for job seekers, connecting them to programmes they never knew existed.”
Mimoza Ulqinaku, Head of YG & Social Fund Sector
UNDP Albania
Mimoza Ulqinaku, Head of YG & Social Fund Sector: “The local coordinator has supercharged our services. We’re no longer just offering jobs—we’re tailoring solutions to each young person’s needs.”
Saniela Xhaferi, Regional Director of the Employment Office, Vlora
UNDP Albania
Saniela Xhaferi, Regional Director of Vlore, says, “Strengthening ties with schools, municipalities, and NGOs means students now know who we are and what we offer. Our next step is reaching youth in rural areas who still feel forgotten."
Workshops held in Tirana, Shkodra, and Vlora with vocational training centers and employment offices.
UNDP Albania
The EU for Youth project is a three-pronged attack on the youth crisis, and it’s hitting all the right notes:
Supercharging Systems: Line Ministries and agencies like the National Agency for Employment and Skills are receiving targeted support, with tools and training to make the Youth Guarantee succeed. It’s about making sure every piece of the puzzle—policy, implementation, monitoring—works in sync.
In Tirana, Shkoder, and Vlora, local partnership networks are springing to life, bringing together local institutions, youth organizations, businesses, and youth to identify, activate, motivate, and provide preparatory services for vulnerable NEETs. The EU4Youth goal? Reach 1,500 NEETs and get 800 into jobs, training, or education. With real-time monitoring, these programmess stay sharp and responsive.
Vocational schools and vocational training centers are getting a makeover, with early warning systems to keep students from dropping out and support for the design and implementation of innovative traineeship and apprenticeship programmes. For the 7,533 students in 12 VET providers, it’s a ticket to a brighter future.
Lorena Gjindoda, EU4Youth local outreach coordinator for Tirana, during the Innovation Challenge.
UNDP Albania
‘’We act as a bridge between policy and the everyday lives of youth, identifying opportunities within their lived realities and working closely with local partners to turn this commitment into tangible actions that truly transform lives,’’ says Lorena Gjindoda, EU4Youth local outreach coordinator for Tirana.
The Youth Guarantee isn’t sitting still—it’s all about action: strengthening governance, launching Local Partnership Networks, and co-designing programmes that put youth at the center.
The impact is already tangible. Around 1000 young people registered in the Youth Guarantee with Employment Offices have accessed slicker, youth-friendly services. VET students are learning in environments that inspire them to stay and succeed. But it’s the stories behind the numbers that hit home: a shy teen from a remote village landing a traineeship, a young woman in Tirana finding her calling, a community rallying to give its youth a shot.
Eno Ngjela, head of the economic growth and development department at UNDP Albania.
UNDP Albania
“The road isn’t without its hurdles. Reaching rural youth remains tough and boosting vocational enrollment while tackling informal jobs and the gender gap demands grit. But the Youth Guarantee’s secret weapon is its adaptability—constant monitoring and feedback keep it sharp, says Eno Ngjela, head of the economic growth and development department at UNDP.
For Albania’s young people, the Youth Guarantee is a promise kept—a vow that their dreams matter. In Tirana, Shkoder, and Vlora, it is gaining unstoppable momentum. If it succeeds here, it could light the way for the entire country, proving that with heart, hustle, and support from organizations such as the EU, even the toughest challenges can’t hold back a generation ready to succeed.
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