ILO and Italian Development Cooperation join forces to boost youth employment in Kosovo’s hospitality sector

© ILO

PRISTINA (ILO News) - 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 with a focus 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 demand; 
• 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 quality employment creation. 

At the official launch event on 11 June, 2025 representatives from government institutions, training providers, Employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations, and development partners gathered to discuss the project's objectives and its potential to make a lasting impact. 

In Kosovo, where the population is young, this means no less than building the future, which is the main objective of our partnership.

Maurizio Antonini, Ambassador of Italy to Kosovo 

Italian Ambassador Maurizio Antonini highlighted that “the project aims to train and professionally integrate hundreds of young people, building bridges between labour market demand and the new generations. In Kosovo, where the population is young, this means no less than building the future, which is the main objective of our partnership.”

Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Tirana Head of Office Ms. Stefania Vizzaccaro welcomed the “participatory approach that characterizes the HoReCa project: the involvement of public institutions, training centres, businesses and local communities in co-design - from the definition of curricula to business development - as a guarantee of effectiveness and sustainability”. 

During the event, the ILO technical 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 productive employment creation, especially among young women and men seeking sustainable employment pathways. 

This important partnership represents a significant step toward aligning education, employment, and enterprise development policies in Kosovo to ensure access to decent work for all young people in Kosovo.