UNDP and Italian Embassy signed an agreement on Digital Skills Programme

January 12, 2023

 

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo and the Embassy of Italy to Kosovo signed today an agreement to collaborate in support of youth from all ethnic communities to improve their employability through a range of tailor-made digital skills trainings. 
To address the digital skills gap in the job market - based on feedback provided by a range of Kosovo businesses - more than 150 young women and men in Kosovo will be provided access to a mix of certification and career-building trainings over the next 12 months. The training bundles include Mobile Application, Web Development, Data Engineering, Networking, Digital Marketing, and Digital Design. Some trainings will have a special focus on the needs of the tourism industry with the aim to enhance competitiveness and productivity. 
With increasing digitalization of the economy, there is a strong potential for Kosovo to accelerate private sector-led growth - including in the tourism sector – and to tap into opportunities within the region, Europe and beyond. Accelerating digital transformation requires, however, more diverse, specialized, and agile set of skills.
During the launch, Italian Ambassador Antonello De Riu stressed: “This kind of initiatives are crucial for the much-needed inter-ethnic dialogue and the promotion of working opportunities for young generations. The concerned project has also the advantage of focusing on a specific area, digital capacities, in which there is a significant demand, including from Italian enterprises. Last but not least, the programme is consistent with a recent aid initiative (NaturKosovo) launched by our Development Agency (AICS) and focused on sustainable tourism”.   
Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative, raised that: “Digitalization presents unprecedented opportunities for accelerating sustainable development. It is progressively changing the way we work, the way we access services and interact with each other. Supporting youth, across communities, gain marketable soft and technical skills is of critical importance in enabling Kosovo’s twin – digital and green – transition where the tourism sector holds enormous potential.” 

The Digital Skills Programme is financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation with 200,000 Euro and UNDP with 100,000 Euro and will be implemented during the next 12 months.

For more information, please contact:

Burbuqe Dobranja, UNDP Communications Associate 
Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 410;   mobile: 049 720 800      e-mail: burbuqe.dobranja@undp.org

Danijela Mitić, UNDP Communication Associate
Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 412;    mobile: 049 720 824     e-mail: danijela.mitic@undp.org

Arjeta Halitaj, Embassy of Italy Press Officer
Phone:  +383 (0) 38 244925 ext 107; mobile: +383.44779993; e-mail: arjeta.halitaj@esteri.it

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