Growing Mismatch between Education and Agriculture Jobs

Press Review

TIRANA, 7 January

The gap between jobs in Albania’s top sectors of economy and education is growing wider. The services and agriculture sectors contributed 66.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017. Moreover, agriculture and services respectively contributed 42.4 and 38.2 percent of jobs in 2017. In the meantime, only 4.2 percent of the total number of students graduated in agriculture and services related studies in 2017. The rate of graduates declined by 2.5 percent compared to 2013.
The number of students that want to pursue a veterinarian or aquaculture school continues to decline. Therefore, some courses in agriculture sciences fill face the risk of closure due to low enrolment. On the other hand, students continue to pursue specific careers even though the job market is overcrowded.
Economic and law graduates in 2017 accounted for 29.6 percent of the total number of university degrees. Meanwhile, about 13.6 percent of students graduated in the healthcare sector.
An increased number of nursing graduates was noticed during recent years due to the employment opportunities abroad.
Nursing was the most popular degree program for the 2017-2018 academic year. Over 20,000 student were pursuing a nurse and health care program. The mismatch between the domestic labor market and the education system is growing as the latter seems oriented toward the international labor market. Despite the growing importance of the agriculture and services sectors, they both lack a qualified workforce.

Read Also: 20 Most-in-Demand Jobs in Albania

Source: Monitor