Digital skills drive rural transformation and decent work in Albania

TIRANA (ILO News) -- Agriculture in Albania remains a cornerstone of the rural economy, yet many communities still face challenges linked to digital exclusion, limited access to technology and changing labour market demands. The Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation in Albania (DART) project, implemented by the ILO in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is addressing these challenges by combining digital innovation with skills development and institutional support.

The DART project was featured at the ILO Innovation Day on 3 March, 2026 as an example of transformative ideas reshaping the world of work. The project introduces high-end technology into a traditional sector and uses digital empowerment as a way out of poverty and into decent work.

"Digital technology alone is not enough," says Earli Shima, ILO Project Coordinator. "We must ensure that policies, institutions and people move in tandem so that digital agriculture translates into real opportunities - skills, decent work and sustainable rural livelihoods."

Rather than focusing solely on technology, the DART project promotes a systemic alignment of digital transformation with skills development at multiple levels:

• Policy Level: Supporting the development of strategies grounded in skills anticipation, labour market relevance and tripartite engagement - bringing together government, employers and workers in shaping the transition.
• Institutional Level: Strengthening the capacity of education and training institutions, Sector Skills Committees and agricultural agencies so they can sustainably respond to technological change.
• Individual Level: Working directly with farmers, young people and rural workers to increase their knowledge in skills for digital agriculture.

DART also actively promotes gender equality, ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities, and expand access to productive employment opportunities across Albania.

The project is also enhancing Albania's national digital platform for farmers, integrating soil and climate data, training resources, market information and funding opportunities into a coherent digital service portal for rural communities.

DART's early results are already visible on the ground. Public administration officials have strengthened their digital capacities through training and the optimized local e-governance systems. Education and training institutions are being equipped with cutting edge tools including soil sensors, haematology analysers for animals, digital endoscopes, Virtual Reality headsets and smartboards that reflect current labour market needs and benefiting hundreds of students.

In rural areas, agriculture is beginning to be taught and practiced as a tech-enabled sector - not just manual work. These changes are helping shift perceptions of agriculture among youth, women and rural workers - making digital agriculture a pathway to decent and productive work, rather than a fallback option.

The DART project fully embodies the ILO's human-centred approach to the future of work. By strengthening lifelong learning, promoting social dialogue, and supporting a just transition towards a smart, resource-efficient agriculture, the project ensures that digital transformation advances decent work and social justice.

"Technology alone does not determine outcomes," stressed the Project Coordinator. "Innovation matters when it works for people. At the ILO, we thrive to leverage new technologies for decent work."

As Albania progressively aligns its national strategies with International Labour Standards and related EU acquis and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the DART project serves as a model for how digital agriculture can empower rural communities, enhance rural livelihoods, and help ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age.