New Policy Report about Career Guidance across the Western Balkans in 2025

Career guidance systems in the Western Balkans are undergoing important changes—but they still face major structural challenges. A new report by CG-International offers an in-depth look at how Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro are working to improve the coordination, quality, and accessibility of career guidance services in their national contexts.

This is the first major output of the CG-International project, which supports the development of more internationalised, inclusive, and effective career guidance systems in VET schools. The report is now available to download at the end of this article.

But before diving into the full document, here’s a summary of its most relevant findings and recommendations.

The report identifies several cross-cutting challenges that impact the effectiveness of career guidance systems in all three countries:

These shared difficulties reduce the capacity of guidance systems to help young people make informed career decisions and to align education with evolving labor market demands.

Despite the shared challenges, each country shows unique developments:

Albania

Recent legal reforms have laid the groundwork for a more structured career guidance system. The introduction of the Career Counselling and Guidance Strategy has brought new focus to this field, with growing political support for coordination between education and employment sectors.

Kosovo

Kosovo is making notable progress in digitalisation of career guidance. Platforms such as Busulla.com offer students career assessments, job market insights, and guidance tools. However, challenges remain in ensuring long-term sustainability, consistent usage, and integration within schools.

Montenegro

The country is emphasizing lifelong learning and has adopted strategies such as the Strategy for Lifelong Career Orientation (2021–2025). There is a growing push toward public-private partnerships and stronger links between VET schools and the labor market.

The CG-International report proposes key actions for national and regional stakeholders:

These recommendations aim to create career guidance systems that are data-informed, inclusive, and aligned with future skills needs, while also fostering cooperation between countries in the region.

This policy definition report sets the foundation for the next phases of CG-International. The findings will inform:

By starting with a clear understanding of the current policy landscape, CG-International aims to support targeted, practical improvements across the Western Balkans—while promoting peer learning and regional cooperation.

You can also find this report in the Resources section of our website, alongside other key project materials and tools.

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