After one year of studies with Cacttus Education, Lend Kazazi, a youth from Pristina, began an internship with Frakton, a local IT skills development company. Three months later, he was offered a full-time position as an iOS app developer. This job opportunity was possible due to the skills Lend learned at Cacttus Education, as part of a partnership with USAID.
In 2017, USAID and Cacttus Education, a professional academy in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), began a three-year partnership to provide ICT skills to out-of-work youth and to sync these skills with the immediate employment needs of the private sector. The lack of a skilled workforce to meet the market demand has been one of the challenges hindering Kosovo’s development.
As a result of this partnership, students have obtained ICT skills that enable them to follow their professional ambitions and create opportunities for themselves and for Kosovo’s economy. Lend explains, “Cacttus Education has given me those first steps every programmer needs.” So far, Lend has made about nine applications that are already in the App store, including a popular tourism app called IntoAlbania.
Four years after the launch of the program, there are over 60 students that have completed the two-year certification in Web and Mobile Application Development and Network and Systems Administration, and an additional 450 youth have completed the short-term ICT and soft skills training. More than 80 graduates, like Lend, have found employment after completing these programs, and four new businesses have been established, with five others in incubation.
In a country burdened with stubborn unemployment issues, skills-oriented education can enhance economic opportunities for Kosovo’s young labor force.
Cacttus for USAIDKosovo