Recently graduated from the Polytechnic University in Tirana, Artenis Çela, was hired full-time as a production manager at an Albanian garment factory after participating in a USAID internship that matched the practical skills young professionals the need for Albanian factories to be competitive in today’s economy.

Skilled Labor Key to Competitiveness of Albanian Businesses

Twenty-six year old Artenis Çela from Skrapar, a small village in central Albania, left his home and family to come to the capital, Tirana, in search of better education and job opportunities. A final year student at the Polytechnic University of Tirana (PUT), Artenis says he would have finished his degree earlier had he not needed to support his family from an early age.

While studying towards his diploma in the field of textile production management, Artenis participated in a series of training workshops and lectures at PUT sponsored by USAID’s Competitiveness Enterprise Development Project.  Artenis was selected as one of 18 PUT students to benefit from a USAID-supported internship program designed to build the next generation of skilled labor for Albania’s garment and footwear industries.

Two days into his internship at a second company, Artenis was offered a job as a productivity manager at Manifaktura-7, a large producer of safety wear for export to Germany.

“It is hard to find young people like him that have a unique set of practical skills fresh out of university,” says Reda Musaraj, Vice General Manager at Manifaktura 7.

Çela said he was lucky to have been exposed to the learning opportunities at the PUT internship program that allowed him to combine education with real-world experience to develop skills that set him apart and enabled him to secure a first real job in a competitive labor market.

USAID’s collaboration with PUT is not only helping Albanian garment and footwear companies build their competitive edge, it is also building a bridge between the academic world and the private sectors in order to better fulfill each other’s demands for skilled people and research collaboration. 

Artenis will also be mentoring and supervising the next wave of PUT interns at Manifaktura-7, in April 2012.

“I’ve always been curious about learning and using innovative ways of doing things," said Çela. "The [USAID] workshops opened my eyes to interesting and practical knowledge, which I now utilize every day. The tangible results have not only earned me the trust of my employer, but also empowered me with confidence to suggest new ways for improvement.”