“Digital Jobs Albania” is a new initiative of the World Bank which will help Albanian women to have better access to online job opportunities and to connect with the global economy. The initiative will provide intensive 3-month digital skills training for women aged 16-35, enabling them to access online employment opportunities for freelancers in graphic design, web development and digital marketing.

The emergence of online job markets for the self-employed is creating new opportunities for Albanians to connect to the global economy. Websites such as Upwork, Fiverr and People Per Hour allow Albanians with the appropriate skills to access online projects commissioned by companies and individuals all over the world while staying in their local communities.

Women in particular stand to gain. The participation rate of women in Albania is still 14.6 percentage points lower than that of men. The pay gap between men and women remains at 6.6%, according to 2020 data from the Albanian National Statistics Authority (INSTAT). The new model of online self-employment can play an important role in closing these gaps. Flexible working hours and the ability to work from home can help more women with the right skills to stay in the workforce and gain financial independence.

The Digital Jobs Albania initiative, implemented in partnership with the Albanian government, Coderstrust (an international digital skills training provider) and EuroPartners Development (a local consulting company), will provide an online training program to equip participants selected technical skills sought. skills. It will also provide mentorship to participants and help them develop the soft skills needed to successfully compete for project work on online freelance websites.

“This initiative offers Albanian women an exciting new opportunity to acquire digital skills and join the online economy – a model to inspire future projects in this space,” said Emanuel Salinas, World Bank Country Director for Albania. “No one can afford to be left behind in the ongoing digital transformation. “

The initiative is part of a wider engagement by the World Bank in Albania to help the country take advantage of the economic opportunities associated with digital trade in goods and services.

“Albania has recognized the importance of digital markets as an opportunity for economic development. We have mobilized a team from across the World Bank to support this effort, through this new initiative and others in the future, ”said Christoph Ungerer, Head of the World Bank. team leader for digital commerce project in Albania.