EU4Youth is a 36-month action implemented jointly by UNDP and UNICEF to support Albania in piloting and preparing the national deployment of the Youth Guarantee scheme. The project focuses on improving the employability and labour market inclusion of young people aged 15–29 who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs), ensuring that they can access a quality offer of employment, education, training or apprenticeship within four months of registration.

Key components include strengthening institutional capacities and Youth Guarantee governance; improving data, monitoring and coordination mechanisms; establishing and operationalizing Local Partnership Networks for the identification, activation and support of NEET youth; and piloting youth-friendly outreach, preparation and offer models in Tirana, Shkodra and Vlora. The project also supports vulnerable NEETs through tailored services delivered with employment offices, municipalities, youth organizations, CSOs, education providers and employers. A further focus is placed on strengthening VET systems, preventing student drop-out through Early Warning Systems, and developing traineeship and apprenticeship models.

• Strengthen institutional capabilities to deliver the Youth Guarantee, including improved NEET data, youth-friendly employment services and relevant legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Enhance inter-institutional governance mechanisms to coordinate, monitor and manage the Youth Guarantee, including support to governance structures, future implementation planning and communication.
• Establish and strengthen Local Partnership Networks among local institutions and civil society organisations in the pilot municipalities to support coordinated outreach, referral and service delivery for young NEETs.
• Co-design and deliver innovative Youth Guarantee outreach and preparatory services through a sub-granting mechanism, to reach out to 1500 young NEETs and provide preparatory services to 800 of them.
• Improve the quality and relevance of the education and VET offer through Early Warning Systems to prevent school drop-outs and traineeship models.

• Strengthened institutional and governance capacity for Youth Guarantee implementation, including improved NEET data, an operational Local Partnership Network model and procedures, new Youth Guarantee offers/EPPs, and support to the development of the next YG Implementation Plan.
• Functional Local Partnership Networks established in the pilot municipalities, enabling coordinated action among employment offices, municipalities, youth structures, education providers, CSOs, social partners and other local actors.
• Vulnerable NEETs better identified, reached and supported, with needs and profiles mapped for up to 5,000 NEETs, outreach measures reaching 1,500 vulnerable NEETs, and activation/pre- and post-placement support provided to 800 NEETs.
• Youth Guarantee pilot models tested and monitored, generating evidence, lessons learned and evaluation findings to fine-tune the scheme and support its future national deployment.
• Improved education and VET pathways for youth, including Early Warning Systems for students at risk of dropping out, improved education programmes for 3,500 students and quality traineeship models for 50 NEETs.