YouThrive Project Kicks Off in Lezha, Empowering Youth for the Digital Labour Market

On 5 March 2026, the opening event of the “YouThrive - Empowering Lezha’s Youth for the Digital Labour Market” project took place at Hotel Liss in Lezha. The initiative aims to support young people in Lezha in developing digital skills and increasing their opportunities for employment and self-employment. The event brought together project participants, institutional representatives, implementing partners, mentors, and other relevant stakeholders.

During the event, participants were introduced to the overall purpose of the project, the structure of the programme, the expected results, and the learning journey they will follow over the coming months through training and mentoring sessions. The project is designed to provide young people with practical knowledge and skills that are increasingly required in today’s digital labour market, with a particular focus on concrete opportunities for professional development, local employment, and new forms of work such as freelancing.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Rémy Privat, Cooperation Attaché at the French Embassy in Albania, highlighted the importance of the BOOST programme and its contribution to supporting young people, strengthening civil society, and creating new opportunities for development in Albania and the wider region.

Ms. Vasilika Laska, Director of the Directorate of Strategic Projects at the Municipality of Lezha, emphasized the relevance of such initiatives for the youth of Lezha. She underlined that equipping young people with digital skills and guiding them towards the modern labour market can open new employment perspectives and help them build their future within their own community.

An encouraging message was also delivered by Ms. Jolanda Trebicka, Executive Director of Europartners Development, who invited participants to actively engage in the programme and to take advantage of this and other similar initiatives that contribute to their personal, professional, and civic development.

The event continued with a detailed presentation of the YouThrive project by Ms. Tresi Dimushi, Project Manager. She presented the project objectives, expected outcomes, and the two main components of the programme: training sessions and the mentoring programme. She also explained the step-by-step process that participants will follow and how the project aims to create a bridge between skills development, career orientation, and concrete employment opportunities.

As part of the event, the mentors of the programme were also introduced according to their respective modules: Social Media & Content Creation, Artificial Intelligence & Digital Tools, and Freelancing & CV Building. During their presentations, they shared a brief overview of each module and the practical skills that participants will have the opportunity to develop throughout the programme.

With the launch of YouThrive, a new journey begins for young people in Lezha, focused on developing some of the most in-demand digital skills, strengthening professional self-confidence, and creating new opportunities for integration into the labour market.

The YouThrive project is financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) under the BOOST programme — Balkans for Optimising Opportunities, Sustainability and Transformation of Civil Society — and is implemented under the coordination of ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy.