Creating pathways to employment through social mentoring and skills development in Albania

Project title: Creating pathways to employment through social mentoring and skills development in Albania
Duration of the project: 15 July - 15 December 2025
Donor: GIZ - The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

Following the successful results of the first phase of the Social Mentoring initiative, the Gender Alliance for Development Center (GADC) continues to implement this methodology to further strengthen the personal and professional capacities of women and girls from marginalized groups and support their integration into the labour market.

During the initial phase, 10 Social Mentors were trained and over a 12-month mentoring period supported 45 beneficiaries, of whom 36 successfully found employment. The majority of participants were women (75%), including survivors of domestic violence, individuals without professional qualifications, and members of marginalized communities facing multiple barriers to employment.

The current phase focuses on supporting a new group of 22 women and girls from vulnerable backgrounds, while enabling 7 trained mentors to continue applying the Social Mentoring methodology in practice through tailored guidance, coaching, and follow-up.

Implemented in cooperation with the National Employment and Skills Agency (NAES/AKPA) and the Municipality of Tirana, the project aims to strengthen the employability and empowerment of marginalized women while promoting Social Mentoring as an innovative and sustainable approach to employment support. Through documenting lessons learned and best practices, GADC also advocates for the integration of the Social Mentoring methodology into public employment services and social support programs in Albania.

Read below a summary of the activities during 2025

SMSUmmary2025 PDF DOCUMENT