Paper Title
TEACHER DEVELOPMENT: LIFELONG LEARNING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION IN CAREER GUIDANCE IN ALBANIA

Abstract
In a time of rapid socio-economic change, the role of educators in shaping learners' career paths has become increasingly complex and dynamic. This complexity is further amplified by the demand for entrepreneurial education as a means to equip students with transferable, future-oriented skills such as creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving. In this context, teachers are not only subject instructors but also implicit career influencers, shaping how students perceive opportunities, navigate uncertainty, and envision their professional futures. Albania has made considerable reforms in teacher education over the past two decades, including the implementation of the Bologna system (2007) and the Law on Higher Education No. 80/2015, which redefined qualification routes for all levels of teaching. While these changes have brought structural improvements, they have not fully addressed the need for lifelong, career-responsive professional development—particularly in areas that foster entrepreneurial mindsets and critical career guidance skills among educators themselves. This paper critically explores the intersection of lifelong learning, teacher agency, and entrepreneurial competence development within the Albanian education system. It examines how policy and institutional support for teacher development can be reimagined not just as a tool for instructional improvement, but as a form of career guidance infrastructure that prepares educators to respond to changing labor markets, foster student agency, and engage in reflective practice. By adopting a critical lens on career guidance, the paper advocates for a deeper integration of lifelong learning and entrepreneurship as essential components of teacher identity and professional purpose. Keywords - Lifelong Learning, Entrepreneurial Education, Training.