THE DIGITAL EMPLOYMENT GAP IN ALBANIA Challenges and Strategies for Higher Education

Albania faces a growing digital employment gap, marked by a mismatch between the skills required by the labour market and those provided by higher education. National initiatives such as e-Albania 2.0, GovTech Accelerator, SmartLabs, and DIGJIKOMP-AL have advanced digitalization, yet graduates often lack the applied competences expected in diverse sectors. This paper examines national strategies and institutional projects, including AKSHI–University partnerships, to assess current progress and persistent shortcomings. The research draws on policy reviews, institutional agreements, labour market surveys, and sectoral reports. Findings reveal limited integration of field-specific digital skills across curricula, regional and socioeconomic disparities in access to infrastructure, and insufficient industryuniversity collaboration. The study argues that systemic reform is required, moving from isolated ICT courses toward embedded digital competences in all disciplines, supported by professional development for faculty and targeted inclusion policies. Five recommendations are proposed: integrate digital learning outcomes across all programmes, expand faculty training in digital pedagogy, strengthen universityindustry partnerships, address digital exclusion for underserved students, and establish continuous monitoring aligned with EU DigComp standards. Coordinated action between the Ministry of Education, AKSHI, universities, and the private sector, supported by EU cooperation, is essential to prepare graduates for a rapidly evolving digital economy.