Albania

Some students of the Master of Science, department of Social Work and Social Policy were involved in conducting a pre study with 11 young people aged 18 to 24 years from some cities of the country. Three of the interviewed young people had finished university studies and were employed, not in their profession; five were attending master studies; 3 others had completed secondary education, one of whom was returned back to Albania from emigration. Their main concerns at the time of the interview were closely related with: difficulty of finding a job and its sustainability, especially in the relevant profession; fear of facing health problems; high level of unemployment, especially among young people; lack of meritocracy, concern that were burdening the family with expenses for studies, and the involvement of policy in every area, especially in professional life. Regarding their visions, young people mentioned topics related their professional career; health troubles; family, children and the opportunity to care for parents; and a country where the law applies. Their expectations for the future of Europe were closely related with the opportunity of Albania to be a member country of the European Union; visa free movement in EU countries; Albania’s ability to achieve European standards; better functioning of the state and the respect of law enforcement; and the opportunity to study in EU countries. Few young people were pessimistic about the Albanian EU entry, arguing  that being a small and poor country means to not have adequate attention and this can bring more problems than benefits.