High School Career Clubs Help Students Gain Skills and Direction

Around 50 percent of Kosovo youth are unemployed, and many lack the knowledge and skills to find a job in the current job market. However, through USAID’s After School Support for Teens activity, career clubs are equipping high school students with the necessary resources to find a job and career direction. As part of these clubs, student volunteers are pairing their peers with professional mentors in the community and connecting their high schools to community members and local businesses. One of the first career clubs formed in Kosovo was Xhevdet Doda High School in Pristina. 

Dion Halili, a student at Xhevdet Doda, first joined the career club as a volunteer and is now the current president. Career club volunteers aid other students to discover their passions by connecting them with mentors in various fields. Dion explains the lasting impact the club has made on students: “The club is important because I’ve seen people that don’t know what to do after high school. The school system doesn’t give us the right knowledge there. So, we try to help students find a topic that they like and then connect them with a mentor to answer their questions. This way they can make a better decision about their future.”  

Even a worldwide pandemic couldn’t stop the club, as they pivoted to virtual meetings to help students build their skill sets and form meaningful relationships with mentors. Dion expressed his gratitude to the community around him, including his parents, teachers, and mentors, and others who participated and supported his online events over the past year. “I feel like we are this small family that I can lean on for career development and in day-to-day life,” he added.

With USAID’s assistance, career clubs throughout Kosovo are partnering with local communities, giving high school students the tools and resources necessary to work toward a better future. When asked about what comes next, Dion said, “even as the president, I still don’t know exactly what I want to do in the future. But I have the and skills to figure that out thanks to the Career Club.”