In northern Albania, four women arrived at the same vocational training programme carrying very different life stories.
One had spent decades raising a family and had never held a formal job. Another had been unemployed for years while caring for her youngest child. A third doubted she was capable of working in a professional kitchen. The fourth had spent years moving between informal jobs, never imagining that, at 49, she would begin a new career.
Today, all four are formally employed.
Their journeys reflect what can happen when skills training is connected to real opportunities. Through the Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania (LEAP) joint programme, supported by the Joint SDG Fund, vocational education is helping women build not only technical skills but also confidence, financial independence and a pathway into decent work.
When Opportunity Meets Determination
For Drita Gegaj, the opportunity came later than she ever expected.
After years balancing family responsibilities with informal work that offered little security, she enrolled in a three-month culinary course at the "Shën Jozefi Punëtor" vocational school. Cooking had always been her passion, but it had never seemed possible to turn it into a profession.
"Cooking has been my passion since I was young. When my daughters grew up, I finally had the chance to pursue it."
Her apprenticeship at Restaurant Kryezeze soon became a full-time job.
For Fatbardha Malçe, entering the programme meant entering the workforce for the first time. At 50, after decades devoted to caring for her family, she discovered that professional cooking demanded skills she had never imagined, and opened a door to greater independence.
"Leaving the house and having my own work is very important. It gives me independence and allows me to contribute without relying entirely on my husband."
For Martine Tarazhi, who had spent five years outside the labour market while raising her youngest child, the programme offered something equally valuable: confidence. Alongside culinary training, she strengthened communication, teamwork and workplace skills that prepared her to seek employment again.
"The training helped us learn new things and meet new people. The certificate and skills will help me find work wherever I go."
Twenty-nine-year-old Altina Paloka almost said no to the opportunity altogether. Unsure she could handle the demands of a professional kitchen, she nearly turned down the course. Encouraged to give it a chance, she completed the training, secured an apprenticeship and was later offered full-time employment.
"The course gave me confidence and helped me find a job that I enjoy."
Each woman followed a different path, but they arrived at the same destination: formal employment, greater economic security and renewed belief in what was possible.
More Than Training
These individual stories are part of a broader effort to make employment more accessible for people who have long faced barriers to entering the labour market.
Implemented by UNDP, ILO and UN Women in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, and the National Agency for Employment and Skills, the LEAP programme goes beyond vocational instruction. Participants receive certified technical training alongside digital and soft skills, career guidance, apprenticeships and direct connections with local employers.
"In this region, unemployment and limited opportunities have long pushed vulnerable people, especially women, to the margins of the labour market," says Eno Ngjela, Programme Specialist at UNDP Albania. "The programme combined vocational training with soft and digital skills, career guidance and hands-on traineeships that connected participants directly with employers."
In Lezha alone, 56 women and men completed the training.
From Individual Stories to Systemic Change
The impact extends far beyond a single community.
Across Albania, the LEAP programme has provided vocational training to 617 people, helped 120 women and young people move into employment in tourism, hospitality and care services, delivered integrated support to 493 households receiving economic assistance, and strengthened the capacities of 173 care and social service professionals.
The experiences of Drita, Fatbardha, Martine and Altina show that creating jobs is about more than teaching new skills. Lasting change happens when training is matched with mentorship, employer partnerships and real pathways into formal employment.
For these four women, a vocational course became much more than a place to learn. It became the moment their next chapter began.
Originally published by UNDP Albania.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Arab Gulf Programme for Development for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
