Pristina, 10 June 2025_The International Labour Organization (ILO), with the financial contribution of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation/Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, launched a new development cooperation initiative aimed at enhancing youth employment in Kosovo’s hospitality sector.
The project, titled “Ho(spitable) Re(silient) Ca(pable): Support to the Labour Market Integration of Young People in the Hospitality Industry” targets the hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa) sector — one of Kosovo’s fastest-growing industries with strong potential for job creation.
This initiative focuses on three key areas:
- Modernizing vocational education and training (VET) in hospitality by upgrading infrastructure, updating curricula, and creating more relevant teaching and learning materials to match labour market demands;
- Enhancing youth employability through increased access to work-based learning, career guidance, and stronger protections for young workers, ensuring a particular focus on inclusion, gender equality, and decent work principles;
- Strengthening entrepreneurship and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the HoReCa sector through targeted business development services that promote innovation, resilience, and sustainable job creation.
At the official launch event, representatives from government institutions, training providers, private sector stakeholders, and development partners gathered to discuss the project’s objectives and its potential to make lasting impact.
His Excellency Ambassador Maurizio Antonini highlighted that “the project aims to train and professionally integrate hundreds of young people, building bridges between market demand and the new generations. In a young and dynamic country like Kosovo, this means building the future, which is the main objective of our partnership with Kosovo”.
AICS Tirana Head of Office Ms. Stefania Vizzaccaro welcomed the “participatory approach that characterizes HoReCa: the involvement of public institutions, training centers, businesses and local communities in co-design – from the definition of curricula to business development – as a guarantee of effectiveness and sustainability”.
ILO representatives underlined the project’s focus on decent work, skills, and opportunities.
During the event, the ILO specialists also presented early findings from the project’s inception phase, providing insights into current trends and challenges in Kosovo’s HoReCa sector. The data points to significant untapped potential for job creation, especially among young women and men seeking sustainable employment pathways.
This partnership between Italy and the ILO represents a vital step toward aligning education, employment, and enterprise development in Kosovo ensuring that young people are equipped not only to find jobs, but to thrive in them.
