Youth Empowerment Grants: Strengthening Economic Prosperity

The program, implemented by Assist Impact, aimed to strengthen the skills of youth and provide them with the necessary tools to participate actively in community building and finding and holding a job or income-generating activity. Six organizations were awarded grants to train 580 youth in 15 different geographic regions, resulting in employment for nearly 225 youth primarily in the private sector. Three of the grants involved training youth directly in companies, providing them with real hands-on practice and enabling companies to identify suitable candidates for employment. Another grant involved substantial internships for university graduates, ranging from sales and marketing to education and IT, in various sectors including well-known accounting and telecommunications firms. The organizations involved in the grants program demonstrated a range of focus areas, including training youth in agro-processing, formalizing informal industry through contracts, and providing training and facilitating youth employment and entrepreneurship in various sectors such as tourism and hospitality, trade skills, and livestock. The program's geographic coverage spanned 15 districts in Albania, including Tirana, Berat, Bulqizë, Dibër, Durrës, Elbasan, Gjirokastër, Korçë, Kurbin (Laç), Lezhë, Lushnjë, Malësia e Madhe, Pogradec, Shkodër, and Vlorë. The program's achievements are evident in the numbers: 580 youth were trained, with 224 now employed or self-employed, many earning more than the minimum wage. The program also resulted in the creation of 40 contracts in the agro-processing sector and the certification of 19 guides in the tourism and hospitality sector. Furthermore, 81 youth were employed or self-employed in the trade skills sector, with 10% from Roma or Egyptian minority communities. The Albanian Students Network Alumni (AS@N) and the Regional Development Agency-Korçë were among the organizations that received grants, training youth in various sectors and providing them with internships and employment opportunities. The Livestock Entrepreneurs Association of Albania also received a grant, providing practical training and facilitating youth employment and entrepreneurship in the livestock sector. Overall, the Youth Empowerment Grants program has made a significant impact in addressing youth unemployment and promoting entrepreneurship in Albania, providing youth with the necessary skills and tools to participate actively in community building and finding and holding a job or income-generating activity.