Kosovo

In the new state of Kosovo, as in many other Eastern European countries, there are not enough jobs for young people. Helvetas seeks to improve career prospects for high school and college graduates in Kosovo and promote the development of domestic and cross-border job markets.

Capital

Pristina
Area

10,908 km²
Population

1,586,659
People supported per year

107,256
Thematic focus

Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion
Education and Vocational Skills
Private Sector Development
Gender & Social Equity
Youth
Urban Engagement

* Source: UN Data

Videos

How Helvetas supports young people in vocational education and training

Zanfina Ghashi

Eduard Luta

Merfida Jerliu

Arlind Gashi

Eastern European economies are booming. Despite this economic growth, however, youth unemployment remains a widespread problem in Kosovo, running as high as 17,3% in large parts of the country, according to Labor Force Survey 2023. Dim future prospects induce many young Kosovars to seek work abroad, which only exacerbates the situation because companies are unable to find suitable skilled workers.

This is why Helvetas supports cross-border labor market development in Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Macedonia) with a view to creating jobs for young people in particular. Our efforts are geared not only to stimulate the private sector, but also to provide job-hunting services such as online job portals. Furthermore, we provide support for various vocational training programs for young people.

Infotainment collaboration with the media

Helvetas brings private-sector employers together with schools in Kosovo to create practically-oriented vocational training opportunities.

We’re also experimenting with new approaches in Kosovo, working with the media to jointly develop formats comprising a mix of entertainment and information to prepare young people for career choices and job seeking. This successful model is now spreading to Albania. Helvetas has been working in Kosovo since 2002.

Working closely with local authorities

The new Eastern European democracies are still quite fragile in a number of areas. Corruption is widespread, the legal systems are ineffectual, and authoritarian tendencies are increasingly resurgent in a number of countries. Helvetas is working closely with local authorities to support institutional reforms and efforts to nurture democratization. The object is to make public services more reliable and available to the people of Kosovo, especially to sections of the population that are discriminated against.

One of the tools we use to support municipalities is performance grants that are co-funded by the Kosovo government. Competition that performance grants create among municipalities leads to improvements in democratic governance, financial and human resource management, and responsive public services. Helvetas supports the Government of Kosovo in the development of policies, which are more conducive to rule-based financing municipalities. The performance grant is now a sustainable mechanism integrated into national policy, ensuring consistent funding and fostering continuous improvement in municipal governance across Kosovo.

Visit the website of Helvetas Kosovo.