SKILLS

Project overview:

Programme: Interreg IPA South Adriatic 2021–2027

SKILLS strengthens cross-border cooperation between institutions, education and training providers, and businesses in Albania, Italy and Montenegro to develop a skilled and competitive blue economy in the South Adriatic. Guided by employers’ needs and labour market trends, the project improves educational pathways, develops new learning programmes and tests on-the-job training schemes to address shortages of blue and digital skills. Its activities support young people and students entering blue careers, while helping enterprises strengthen workforce competencies and human resource management. Through a shared cross-border strategy, coordinated qualification frameworks, a Adriatic Blue Growth Cluster and a digital platform, SKILLS connects education, policy and industry to improve employment opportunities, support innovation and advance sustainable regional growth.

My contribution:

Contracted by: University of Montenegro — Institute of Marine Biology, Lead Partner
Geographical coverage: South Adriatic cross-border area — Montenegro, Albania, and the Italian regions of Puglia and Molise

My assignment combined policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, communication, and monitoring and evaluation. I supported cooperation among institutions, education providers, research organisations and businesses, helping connect sector priorities with the project’s skills-development objectives.

The policy and stakeholder-engagement work focused on understanding institutional perspectives, identifying development and training needs, and supporting dialogue across sectors and borders. This approach helped establish a shared understanding of the challenges facing the blue economy and the opportunities for coordinated action.

Communication and monitoring support complemented this work by making project objectives and activities accessible to stakeholders and supporting the systematic review of implementation progress. My contribution linked evidence, participation and communication to practical project delivery, providing a basis for informed decisions and continued cooperation.

Selected results:

• Contributed to establishing cross-border governance and stakeholder engagement foundations for blue economy skills development in the South Adriatic.

• Supported the launch of the Cross-Border Permanent Table (CBPT) through its inaugural meeting in Bari on 4 October 2024.

• Contributed to completing Montenegro’s 4-Helix Stakeholder Engagement Report, mapping academia, industry, public authorities and civil society, identifying cooperation gaps, and documenting Montenegro’s appointed CBPT members.

• Supported three Skills Definition Labs in Montenegro: Most Needed Blue Economy Skills (Podgorica, 19 November 2024); Aquaculture and Fisheries Management (Kotor, 27 November 2024); and Maritime Logistics and Port Management (Tivat, 13 December 2024).

• Helped identify workforce gaps and formulate recommendations for tailored training programmes and closer alignment between education and industry needs through these stakeholder consultations.