As technology is changing the approach to professions, there is a need for knowledge updates in all fields to adapt to the innovations.

The digital era we are living in demands lifelong learning, but Albania appears weak in this indicator compared to the region and the countries in transition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Comparative data from the European Training Foundation (ETF) show that in 2022 only 0.7% of the population aged 25-64 had participated in training related to knowledge updates.

This was the lowest level in the region, as in Serbia almost 6% of this age group undergoes training, in Montenegro 3.2%, in North Macedonia 2.5%, and in Bosnia 1.8%. In the European Union, over 11% of the population aged 25-64 participated in training in 2022.

The ETF, a branch of the European Commission to develop human capital skills in candidate countries, considers lifelong learning crucial in the context of technological and demographic developments.

The age group 25-64 in Albania suffers from significant education deficits. Data from the ETF show that in 2020, almost 53% of the population aged over 15 had only completed primary education. The low level of education in the working-age population is not pushing for the improvement of skills.

Internal data show that the expenses that Albanian businesses pay for the professional development of employees are low and, moreover, are decreasing at a time when high emigration and declining birth rates are rapidly weakening the labor force.

A survey by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) reported that the costs of professional training decreased in 2020 compared to 2016 by 19-90% depending on economic activities.

In 2020, the highest annual costs for employee training were in the trade, transport, and accommodation sector with 1801 lek per year, down 55% from 4048 lek in 2016.

But the biggest drop in training expenses was for employees in financial and insurance activities. In 2020, the annual cost of training an employee in these businesses was only 734 lek, down from 7290 lek in 2016, a 90% decrease.

The Albanian economy still operates on a model that exploits the cheap labor force, but as the primary resource (people) is diminishing, Albanian businesses see employees as a cost instead of strengthening human resource management and increasing productivity through them.

Businesses invest very little in human resources and do not use incentive tools such as bonuses, rewards, and training to enhance professionalism.