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KOSOVO - Employment of the graduates of Level 5 qualification for students/children with Special Education Needs (SEN)
One of the major steps undertaken in the implementation of the national reform of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) System in Kosovo, realized with the support of the Support to Vocational Education and Training (VET) Reform in Kosovo Project, KSV/020, is the introduction of the first two Level 5 qualifications in the public sector. The two courses, respectively in the fields of Special Education Needs (SEN) and Career Guidance (CG), have been developed in cooperation with the international partner Pearson Education and accredited by the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC). Initially introduced in 2017, both Level 5 qualifications are replicated in four antenna institutions in Pristina, Ferizaj, Prizren and Peja enabling their access to a larger number of students throughout the main regions of Kosovo. This concretizes one of the main aspects of the scope of the Centres of Competence (CoCs), that according to the vision of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST) have to serve as national hubs of VET provision. It is important to note that both qualifications are also pioneering as income-generating activities allowing the CoCs to generate funds which can be used to pay for small expenses autonomously.
Two years after their initial introduction, both Level 5 qualifications are successful, sustainable, in high demand and fully endorsed by the Government of Kosovo and the MEST. A clear sign of this endorsement is the decision of the MEST to employ 100 SEN assistants throughout the public education system. Currently, 70 out of 129 graduates (two academic generations) have concluded regular employment contracts in public institutions. The significant percentage of employment of the SEN graduates (about 54.26%) represents an impressive achievement of the Project’s aim to foster employment in Kosovo, taking into consideration the high rate of unemployment and the general difficulties in professional requalification and access to the labour market. Further, it has an immediate impact on the quality provision of professional assistance to a number of children with special education needs, and a long-term impact in the improvement of the quality of their lives and in the general inclusion rate in the Country.
The success of the qualifications has led to an increased interest of students to join the third generation of candidates that have started to be implemented in November 2019 and it is expected to end in October 2020. Further, the successful rate of employment has prompted the initiative for the development of other Level 5 qualifications required by the labour market which undoubtedly have a positive impact on narrowing the gap in terms of preparing skilled graduates for the labour market, thus enhancing the welfare and development of the Kosovo's economy.
The second generation of graduates in the SEN Level 5 qualification: characterized by a massive presence of female candidates
The second generation of graduates in the SEN Level 5 qualification: Delivery of diplomas with the presence of the Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology
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