UNMIK ON AIR

Vocational Training-EAR

By Arta Pllana

 

 

 

 

Hello and welcome … you are listening to UNMIK ON AIR ….

 

The Kosovo Vocational Educational Training project (KOSVET) aims to train teachers and students in various fields of electronics. It provides more then 500 participants in 10 schools across Kosovo with the latest technical knowledge and skills.

 

‘Gjin Gazuli’ school in Pristina is one of the schools involved in this project: since last year they offer a three-year electronics course. Rame Likaj, program manager with KOSVET, believes this kind of schooling gives people the necessary skills in the field of electronics and makes it much easier for them to find a job.

 

CUT 1 - The training helps students to take the lead in the electronics industry and helps Kosovo's development in the future.

 

KOSVET trainers are both local and international. They teach students, as well as teachers, how to use the latest technology. Buying new equipment is simply a matter of money; the difficult part is to know how to make use of it.

 

So far the European Agency for Reconstruction – EAR, invested around 300,000 Euro in the project. With this money they bought equipment and refurbished the schools. Flamur Shala, director of the “Gjin Gazuli” school, believes that the high-tech equipment is a big motivator for the students.

 

CUT 2 - The equipment we provide is of high European technology. The equipment in our labs will encourage students for hard work.

 

Gazmend Selimi works for EAR as a manager of this vocational training project and often visits the different centers. One of the challenges, he says, is to make sure that the schools' curriculum provides the knowledge and skills students will need in their future jobs.

 

CUT 3 - In the past we have had education based on what they offered to the students, while today the contemporary European trends require education to be oriented toward the labor market

(Nė tė kaluarėn kemi pasur arsimim nė bazė tė ofertės. Pėrderisa nė bazė tė trendeve bashkėkohore evropiane ėshtė qė arsimimi dhe edukimi tė orientohet nė bazė tė kėrkesave tė punės)

 

Beside the 10 vocational schools already included in the KOSVET project, EAR also set up 5 training centers for adults. One of them, in Prizren, provides 3-month courses in industrial electronics, business administration, cooking and welding. Since the beginning of this year a total of 345 students successfully graduated from the course. According to Sinan Gashi, director of the centre, up to 70% of the students manage to find a job soon after they graduate as they are specialised in fields very much wanted by employers.

 

CUT 4-   for instance in electronics and hydraulics, both wanted professions in Kosovo's labor market and here in Prizren so that’s why our candidates get jobs quite fast.

(per shembull elektronik dhe hidrauliken qe jane dy profesione qe I kerkon tregu I punes ne kosove kisha thane gjithashtu edhe ne prizren prandaj kemi shume candidate te cilet punesohen  menjehere.)

 

20 year-old Rinor Shala found a job right after graduating from his course at the adult training centre. His skills, certificate and the support of the center made it easy for him to find work.

 

CUT 5 - I have good memories from the centre, for 3 months we have had many courses, and the centre has offered me employment and I am satisfied.

Rinor's employer Mehmet Shala is happy with his new worker and plans to continue cooperation with the Centre.

 

CUT 6 - I have only good words for trainers that train students, so we were happy to employ 3 of these students so far.

 

Good vocational training is crucial. It helps people find a job and by developing Kosovo’s workforce such trainings facilitate Kosovo’s economy and help companies compete internationally.

 

With this we end today’s program … thanks for listening and please stay tuned for tomorrow's 'week in review'.