Conference and workshop, Vienna, 3-5 December 2012 Mapping VET Education Policies and Practices for Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion: the role of VET in promoting employment, equity, social cohesion and active citizenship in Western Balkans, Turkey (WBT) and Israel VET Education Policies and Practices for Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion in Albania Conference and workshop, Vienna, 3-5 December 2012 Public Vocational Schools & Vocational Training Centres

1. Albania: Key policy issues in the current policy debates Mapping VET Education Policies and Practices for Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion: the role of VET in promoting employment, equity, social cohesion and active citizenship in Western Balkans, Turkey (WBT) and Israel 1. Albania: Key policy issues in the current policy debates • Development of a common VET system to enable an optimal use of resources. VE recorded the largest increase of the MoES budget by 28,8% over the period 2011-2014, but still inadequate. The concept of multifunctional VET schools as the entry gate and one-stop shop responding to the needs of the local communities and the market. Increasing VET enrolment rate and community awareness. Cooperation of all the stakeholders interested in VET and capacity development for monitoring and evaluation of VET system.

2. Albania: Key points arising from national level interviews Mapping VET Education Policies and Practices for Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion: the role of VET in promoting employment, equity, social cohesion and active citizenship in Western Balkans, Turkey (WBT) and Israel 2. Albania: Key points arising from national level interviews • VET selection barriers have fallen and are limited just to the students age (17). As a result there is an increase in the number of new entrants in the VET system for 2012-2013. Marginalised groups VET enrolment requires raising community awareness. The VE schools are referring such cases to the VTC operating in their region. The VE schools operating in national level requires clear financing procedures. The vulnerable groups takes the advantages of government grants for accommodation and food. Most of the social inclusion practices are project based.

3. Albania: Points discussed with national advisory boards Mapping VET Education Policies and Practices for Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion: the role of VET in promoting employment, equity, social cohesion and active citizenship in Western Balkans, Turkey (WBT) and Israel 3. Albania: Points discussed with national advisory boards In the discussion of the research instruments two issues were considered to be added in the focus group discussions: coordination of the activities of different public agencies engaged on VET policy, and the monitoring and evaluation of the VET system. There are many unidentified resources for VET, especially from the private sector. The need to be developed the quality standards and professional associations. Vulnerable groups are trained free of charge in principle, but there is discrimination between them. The new patterns of school-based vocational education and apprenticeship systems is piloting in a multifunctional VET school which will be used as important hub linking VET students and potential employers through practical work in the premises of the local businesses.

4. Albania: Problems facing the project and actions to resolve them Mapping VET Education Policies and Practices for Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion: the role of VET in promoting employment, equity, social cohesion and active citizenship in Western Balkans, Turkey (WBT) and Israel 4. Albania: Problems facing the project and actions to resolve them The initial problem with the MOLSAEO was solved by the letter of ETF to the Minister. Limited data available on social inclusion and social cohesion (LSMS 2008 the latest) - focus on the MoES statistics and the social map provided by the schools. The two pilot VET schools have quite different experiences and typical tendencies: Tirana – the 90 % of their students are continuing the university as the best opportunity, Durresi - is frequented from the pupils with low results (more than 50%) and 90 % of them usually are employed in the places of their internships or family business, self-employment. Elbasan VTC have only 24 percent of the trainees of the group age 15-19, who are mainly referred from the VET schools. New Governing Boards of VET schools are going to be established by the end of November, which will facilitate our target key persons to be interviewed in the local stakeholders.