Shaping a new culture of skills recognition in Kosovo

Kosovo is taking a significant step towards recognising skills gained outside formal education. Individuals will soon be able to turn their experience into official qualifications through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process, which will open up new opportunities for employment and lifelong learning. The Skills for sustainable jobs in Kosovo project supports this effort to build a more inclusive and skills-based economy.

A growing number of people in Kosovo will soon be able to turn their experience into official qualifications, a step that could reshape how skills and knowledge are valued across the country. The RPL process allows individuals to certify competencies acquired outside formal education, opening doors to better employment, career mobility and lifelong learning.

To make this possible, a network of Vocational Education and Training Institutions (VETIs) and Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) is being prepared to deliver RPL services that meet national standards. Practitioners from these institutions are being trained to assess and validate prior learning, ensuring that recognition is fair, transparent and aligned with the needs of the labour market.

As part of this effort, a two-day workshop was held on 28 and 29 October 2025, bringing together more than 30 practitioners from VETIs and VTCs for in-depth training on RPL procedures and documentation. The sessions, led by a local professional training provider, Verso Altima, combined practical exercises and real-case simulations to strengthen institutional capacity for implementation.

The initiative is supported by the Skills for sustainable jobs in Kosovo project, implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, in cooperation with the National Qualifications Authority, and funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The partnership builds on the Letter of Understanding signed in July 2025, reaffirming a shared goal: to establish sustainable systems that formally recognise skills gained through work, life and experience.

By enabling RPL, Kosovo is taking an important step towards a more inclusive, dynamic and skills-based economy, where learning, in all its forms, truly counts.

The Skills for sustainable jobs in Kosovo project is funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, and by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency. It contributes to sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation, inclusiveness and social development in a greener Kosovo. Its specific objective aims to enhance job prospects for young people and women by strengthening vocational education and training to meet market demands.