Instead of working as a football referee, he works as an assistant chef.
Shkëlqim Vllasaliu, 23 years old from Pristina, is one of many young people in Kosovo who have difficulty building a career in their profession.
The long dedication, whether through theoretical or practical exercises to obtain a license, was not rewarded, due to "many challenges", writes "REL".
The inability to engage in this profession, circumstances, have forced him to work as an assistant chef in the gastronomy sector, in a restaurant in the capital.
"It's a job that can be secured more easily, the demands are great in this sector," says Shkëlqimi, according to A2.
On May 1 - International Workers' Day, young people are demanding that ways be found to support their employment, whether for seasonal work, or to offer opportunities to engage in their profession after their studies.
Also waiting for a job is Arlind Shala, a 23-year-old from Pristina, who graduated in Public Administration from a private college in September last year.
He works as a waiter in a bar in Pristina.
Since graduating, he says he has been interested in dozens of job openings in the public and private sectors, but has only applied to two.
He says that he did not apply to all the competitions, as he was often told that without a connection to someone in high positions, he was unlikely to be accepted.
"I want to work in management analysis, statistics and accounting, but it is very difficult. I am disappointed by the challenges that arise in working in my profession," said Arlindi, adding that nepotism and family ties are the main factors in finding a job.
He is also at work on May 1, when International Workers' Day is being celebrated.
Another young man, Erion Sejdiu, 21 years old from the municipality of Ferizaj, graduated in Social Work in December 2024. He expected the diploma to open the door to the profession he had chosen with passion.
But, four months later, he still hasn't found a job in the field he's qualified for, so he continues to work in the private sector.
"Currently, I am working in a profession completely opposite to what I studied," he briefly told Radio Free Europe.
Erioni indicated that there are few vacancies for social workers - but even those that are advertised require a minimum of three years of experience in the field.
"This criterion makes it impossible to apply and demotivates and disappoints a recent graduate for the future," he said.
Employment Challenges
There are numerous challenges in the employment process for young people, considers Blenda Pira, program coordinator at the non-governmental organization Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Kosovo.
Their inability to get employed in their profession, she says, is disappointing them and negatively impacting their motivation and confidence for the future.
"In the imposed profession, the work is not of high quality. Young people spend several years in school, college, and, unable to find a job in their profession, are forced to work in the construction, gastronomy and other private sectors," said Pira.
For this reason, she considers that the education system should be restructured in order to adapt the needs of the labor market to the cadres emerging from educational institutions.
"Where better to make their contribution than in the field that young men and women have chosen to study," she emphasizes.
This phenomenon continues to remain challenging for this category of society, according to the GAP Institute report, published on April 30.
"It is important to develop or support training programs that prepare young people for the labor market. In Kosovo, such training would be particularly effective for young people who are currently not in education, employment, or training," the report states.
GAP says that many companies encounter difficulties related to insufficient skills of candidates in relation to the qualifications and experience required.
Young people in numbers...
Kosovo has a young population, with an average age of around 35 years old.
The number of young people aged 15 to 24, according to the population census conducted last year by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS), is over 256 thousand.
But, this category is most affected by unemployment.
In the first half of last year, the youth unemployment rate (15-24 years old) was 21.2 percent, or 5.0 percentage points higher than in the same period of the previous year, when it was 16.2%.
But, another worrying characteristic is the high level of youth unemployment.
According to a report by the GAP Institute, "Emigration and the Labor Market in Kosovo: The Untapped Potential of the Inactive Labor Force", published on April 30, 2025, about 30 percent or over 78 thousand young people of this age are not pursuing either education, employment, or training.
This figure, according to the GAP Institute, is significantly higher than the European Union average of over 20 percent and the highest in the Western Balkans.
On the other hand, the overall unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 65 is 10.7 percent./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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