Elvira Fetahu – Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economy, University of Elbasan, Albania
Eriona Cela – Department of Psychology, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University of New York, Tirana, Albania
Keywords:
Hard and soft skills;
Vocational education;
Labor market;
Employees
Abstract
The achievement of economic growth is the goal and objective of every country and it is possible only through the efforts of different educational institutions, providers, and beneficiaries, to educate and train experts in different sectors, based on the principle of lifelong learning. This paper aims to analyze the needs of employees to develop and improve hard and soft skills, providing the challenges of vocational education and to adopt the changes in the labor market, for both employees and employers. The data collected from Vehicle Services, Hotel and Tourism, Construction, and Logistics dialogue roundtables provide recommendations for providers and businesses in every job aspect.
The analysis of the data resulted in the following: it is necessary to establish continuous contacts with public institutions which offer professional development courses for employees, both before and during employment, as for them the cost of training the employees is a continuous process.

Download file

LIMEN Conference
8th International Scientific-Business Conference – LIMEN 2022 – Leadership, Innovation, Management and Economics: Integrated Politics of Research – CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, Hybrid (EXE Budapest Center, Budapest, Hungary), December 1, 2022,
LIMEN Conference proceedings published by the Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans, Belgrade, Serbia
LIMEN Conference 2022 Conference proceedings: ISBN 978-86-80194-66-0, ISSN 2683-6149, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/LIMEN.2022
Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission.
Suggested citation
Fetahu, E., & Cela, E. (2022). Addressing Key Challenges in Vocational Education and Training (VET) In Albania, Ensuring Systematic Change, Competence Development, and Stakeholder Empowerment. In V. Bevanda (Ed.), International Scientific-Business Conference – LIMEN 2022: Vol 8. Conference proceedings (pp. 251-256). Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans. https://doi.org/10.31410/LIMEN.2022.251
References
CEDEFOP. (2006). Typology of Knowledge, Skills, and Competences: Clarification of the Concept and Prototype. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/3048_en.pdf
Hurrell, S. A. (2009). Soft skills deficits in Scotland: Their patterns, determinants and employer responses. [Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, University of Strathclyde]. (inpress).
Jens-Henning, P. (2020). The importance of vocational training for career development, https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/vocational-training-career-development?f bclid=IwAR1Vg-aMH3_2EJB0glOJcaP8T86svIed0nWxHAOgt0hiui4m3rXaW8mA
REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA – COUNCIL OF MINISTERS. (2022). ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAMME 2022-2024, https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-05/Albania%20ERP%202022-2024.pdf
Additional reading
Abdullah-Al-Mamun, M. (2012). The Soft Skills Education for the Vocational Graduate: Value as Work Readiness Skills. British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 2(4), 326–338. https://doi.org/10.9734/bjesbs/2012/1858
Airey, D., International, S., April, N., & Airey, D. (2016). Academic papers Education for tourism – East meets West. 1(1), 7–18.
Armstrong, M. B. (1990). Professional Ethics and Accounting Education. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 9(1), 181–191. https://doi.org/10.5840/bpej199091/22
Barton, J., & Hirsch, J. (2019). Wanted: Soft skills for today’ s jobs. 98(5), 12–17.
Baum, T., & Devine, F. (2007). Skills and Training in the Hotel Sector: The Case of Front Office Employment in Northern Ireland. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 7(4), 269–280. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.thr.6050046
Change, S., & December, N. N. (2022). Soft Skills for the Workplace Author (s): Patrick C. Kyllonen. URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44081601. 45(6), 16–23.
CHENG, A., & HITT, C. (2022). American Enterprise Institute Hard Work and Soft Skills THE ATTITUDES, ABILITIES, AND CHARACTER OF STUDENTS IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. American Enterprise Institute. URL: https://www. jsto. American Enterprise Institute Hard, 2018
Curtis, C., & Scheurer, J. (2017). Performance measures for public transport accessibility: Learning from international practice. Journal of Transport and Land Use, 10(1), 93–118. https://doi.org/10.5198/jtlu.2016.683
DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY. (1997). British Actuarial Journal, 3(4), 785–834. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41141326
Dewhurst, H., Dewhurst, P., & Livesey, R. (2007). Tourism and Hospitality SME Training Needs and Provision: A Sub-Regional Analysis. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 7(2), 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.thr.6050037
Dougherty, S. M., & Lombardi, A. R. (2016). From Vocational Education to Career Readiness: The Ongoing Work of Linking Education and the Labor Market. Review of Research in Education, 40(1), 326–355. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X16678602
Foskett, N. (2000). Fieldwork and the development of thinking skills. Teaching Geography, 25(3), 126–129.
Gary, J. (2006). Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article. Academy of Management Review, 31(2), 386–408.
Gentry, J. J., & Farris, M. T. (1992). The increasing importance of purchasing in transportation decision making. Transportation Journal, 32(1), 61–71.
Guo, X. (2019). Promoting Effect of Logistics Development on Economy in Coastal Area. Journal of Coastal Research, 93(sp1), 1099–1104. https://doi.org/10.2112/SI93-159.1
Halloway, L. B., Andrews, M. J., Siegel, K. E., & Saul, D. (2005). International Transportation Source: The International Lawyer, SUMMER 2005, Vol .3, No .2, International Legal Developments in Review: 2004 (SUMMER 2005), pp. 417-427 Published by: American Bar Association Stable
Hartog, M., & Winstanley, D. (2002). Ethics and Human Resource Management. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 21(2), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.5840/bpej200221210
Hong, A. H., & Sullivan, F. R. (2013). Towards an idea-centered, principle-base design to as creation approach support learning knowledge. Educational Technology Research and Development, 57(5), 613–627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-009-9122-0
Hummels, D. (2007). Transportation costs and international trade in the second era of globalization (Journal of Economic Perspectives) (2007) (131-154)). Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(4), 237. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.21.4.237
Izzo, G. M., & Vitell, S. J. (2003). Exploring the Effects of Professional Education on Salespeople: The Case of Autonomous Agents. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 11(4), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2003.11658506
Jawria, N. (2018). skills to the workplace Connecting graduates with the real world. UCL Press., 19–233. www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt21c4tcm.35
Journal, E. (2003). A Framework for Evaluating Vocational Education and Training (VET) European Journal of Education, June, 2003, Vol. 38, No. 2,
Kennedy, M. M. (1987). Inexact Sciences: Professional Education and the Development of Expertise, Review of Research in Education, 1987, Vol. 14 (1987), pp. 133-167 Published by: American Educational Research Association
Lee, D. M. S., Trauth, E. M., & Farwell, D. (1995). Critical skills and knowledge requirements of IS professionals: A joint academic/industry investigation. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 19(3), 313–337. https://doi.org/10.2307/249598
Lemmen, S. (2018). The Formation of Global Tourism from an East-Central European Perspective. Hungarian Historical Review, 7(2), 348–374.
Levasseur, R. E. (2013). People skills: Developing soft skills-A change management perspective. Interfaces, 43(6), 566–571. https://doi.org/10.1287/inte.2013.0703
Lusher, A. L. (2022). ASSESSING GENERAL EDUCATION SKILLS IN AN UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS DEGREE PROGRAM https://www.jstor.org/stable/27797967 College with a specific focus on the School of Business. 52(4), 317–334.
Mahasneh, O. (2021). The Hard Skills for (BA) Graduates of Pre-Vocational Education Needed by the Labor Market From the perspective of employers.
Marceau, J. (2018). Performance-Based Logistics Contracting: Does it Work? 103(777), 17–19.
Marques, J. (2013). Understanding the Strength of Gentleness: Soft-Skilled Leadership on the Rise. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(1), 163–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1471-7
Mathur, S. R., Clark, H. G., & Schoenfeld, N. A. (2009). Professional Development: A Capacity-Building Model for Juvenile Correctional Education Systems. The Journal of Correctional Education, 60(2), 164–185.
Moss, P., & Tilly, C. (1995). Skills and Race in Hiring: Quantitative Findings from Face-to-Face Interviews. Source: Eastern Economic Journal, 21(3), 357–374.
Niu, X. (2019). Impact of coastal railway transportation decisions on public welfare. Journal of Coastal Research, 98(sp1), 284–289. https://doi.org/10.2112/SI98-069.1
Osterman, P., & Batt, R. (1993). Programs for International Centered Training Competitiveness: Programs Abstract. 12(3), 456–477.
Payne, S. L. (1994). Epistemological and Ethical Development for Human Resource Professionals. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 13(3), 33–56. https://doi.org/10.5840/bpej199413316
Review, V. L. (2018). Competition, Market Structure and Regulatory Institutions in Transportation Published by: Virginia Law Review URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1071074 ARTICLES COMPETITION, MARKET STRUCTURE AND REGULATORY INSTITUTION. 50(2), 212–230.
Sigala, M., & Baum, T. (2003). Trends and Issues in Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education: Visioning the Future. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 4(4), 367–376. https://doi.org/10.1177/146735840300400409
Sparrow, S. M. (2018). Teaching and assessing soft skills. Journal of Legal Education, 67(2), 553–575.
Sterns, R., Antenucci, V., Nelson, C., & Glasgow, N. (2003). Public Transportation Service Models. Generations, 27(2), 20–22.
Sterns, R., Antenucci, V., Nelson, C., & Glasgow, N. (2003). Public Transportation: Options to Maintain Mobility for Life. Generations, 27(2), 14–19.
Technical, I., & Education, V. (2014). Recommended Roadmap for Improving TVET. Improving Technical Vocational Education and Training in the Kurdistan Region— Iraq, 57–68. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt6wq8s7.13
Tribe, J. (2002). RESEARCH TRENDS AND IMPERATIVES IN TOURISM EDUCATION Author (s): John Tribe. Source: Acta Turistica, July 2002, Vol. 14, No. 1, International Scientific Conference ” Rethinking of Education and Training in Tourism ” 18-20 April, 2002, Zagreb, 14(1), 61–81.
Viertel, E. (2010). Vocational Education for Sustainable Development: an obligation for the European Training Foundation. European Journal of Education, 45(2), 217–235. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40664662
Zhu, Y., & Suo, J. (2020). The situation of offshore oil logistics industry and transportation scheme design of new concept of green logistics. Journal of Coastal Research, 112(sp1), 447–450. https://doi.org/10.2112/JCR-SI112-118.1
Zlotkowski, E. (2011). Opportunity for all: Linking service-learning and business education. Higher Education and Democracy: Essays on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, 9781439900390(1), 218–237.