The coding program is one of the government’s most ambitious initiatives, as part of the broader vision to build a Digital Albania. It aims to equip citizens—especially the youth—with advanced digital skills in high-demand fields within the labor market, thereby promoting quality employment and accelerating the country’s technological transformation.

As part of this initiative, the government has subsidized professional courses in technology and coding for young people. A significant number of participants have successfully completed the intensive training provided by specialized centers.

To maintain their motivation, encourage professional networking, and create a sustainable platform for collaboration and idea exchange, a special event was held today. It brought together the program’s young beneficiaries, their mentors, representatives from the private sector, and other stakeholders from the digital ecosystem to build bridges of cooperation and support the integration of youth into the labor market.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, who attended the meeting, stated that promoting such initiatives and informing the youth about how to take advantage of these opportunities is very important.

***

Prime Minister Edi Rama:
Thank you very much for your presence here today, and thank you for helping us promote this program through your participation. It is extremely important that as many girls and boys as possible are informed about the existence of this program and the opportunity it offers to embark on this path.

As Bora mentioned, we started from scratch, and initially the main challenge was informing and clarifying to young people the benefits and value of such an experience. However, it didn’t take long before we saw a surge in applications—over 7,000 applications were submitted through the e-Albania portal. This encouraged us to look beyond this single program and consider how we can create more pathways to access technology by gradually building a broader system.

The Pyramid is one part of this system, but it is no longer the only component. Today we also have Durana Tech Park operational, a different space from the Pyramid, but equally essential to the system and one that is also giving us strong reason to be encouraged and inspired to continue forward.

We have launched the expansion of the TUMO centers beyond Tirana. The TUMO center has already clearly demonstrated its value for many, many children. We also have the smart lab system in schools—if I’m not mistaken, there are 340 schools currently equipped with smart labs, where children begin learning the basics of technology and coding as early as the first grade. The plan is to expand the number of smart labs to 1,000, effectively covering all schools across the country. This plan is already funded and in progress.

We are also working to expand into several other cities in parallel, without duplicating the TUMO model.

Here at the Pyramid, in just a few days—likely in mid-May, during the European Political Community Summit—we are planning, together with the President of France, to inaugurate another facility, which is already prepared. It’s a structure that is widely recognized in the global tech world: a school that is entirely different from traditional schools. It’s called École 42, and it offers an opportunity for everyone—regardless of age, academic background, or previous education—to compete for entry. With a highly specific and innovative program, it welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds.

All of these efforts represent, in a way, a large construction site where we are doing everything we can to keep pace with the times and to stand by our youth—to support the girls and boys who have talent, willpower, and ambition.

The startup program has also yielded encouraging results and is a program that is destined to grow further, both in scope and in terms of its financial support.

On the other hand, I would like to share with you two additional facts. First, we are witnessing an unusual—if I may call it that—influx of foreign companies that are now considering Albania as a potential hub for establishing their operations, specifically in the field of technology.

Second, we are fully aware that, alongside our efforts to promote entrepreneurship in this field, there still remains a considerable gap in research and development. We need to do more—together—to strengthen R&D and to reduce the current gap between universities and the labor market, and in fact, between scientific research (which often remains abstract) and real-world application.

All that being said, what is very clear is that the number of individuals involved in this sector is increasing rapidly. There is a widespread belief among companies that our country is rich in talent, and this is extremely important.

Moreover, we have now moved beyond the phase where low labor costs were seen as the main appeal. The perception of Albania by companies is no longer that of a place where you can produce the same output but pay less for labor. In other words, cheap labor is no longer viewed as a competitive advantage—neither in how companies perceive themselves nor in how foreign companies view us. And this is a very meaningful and competitive development.

Finally, we come to the key point: salaries and incomes generated through involvement in entrepreneurship or employment in this sector are now very much on par with those in other countries around the world and in Europe.

Once again, thank you very much, because the most important thing for us today is that, thanks to you and with you as witnesses here, we can show other girls and boys that they should not hesitate to get involved in coding programs, they should not hesitate to apply. I believe you’ve seen that the entire process has been completely open and transparent.

In a way, by spending this time with us today, you are also helping your peers—other young people, perhaps even a bit younger than you—see that this path is open, that it works, and that by the end of such a course, you emerge as a different person, in terms of your capacities and what you can offer the job market.

Thank you very much, and I wish you all great success.

So here, geography doesn’t matter, status doesn’t matter—none of that is important. And more importantly, the fact that many girls and boys in Albania, whether individually or as part of companies, are working remotely—sometimes just with a computer—for different companies on different continents, without ever leaving their hometown or even their home, supporting their families while still not having finished high school or university, is a clear indicator of this fast-changing world.

And we will do everything we can to make sure we don’t lose sight of this world that is moving at a dizzying pace.

Thank you very much!