Vulnerable groups will have easier access to technical vocational education and subsequent employment, according to the expected results of a project aimed at improving the observance of social rights, including the right to work, in the Republic of Moldova. The project is launched by the Council of Europe, being co-financed by the Austrian Development Agency together with national partners.

Stella Avallone, Austria’s Ambassador to Moldova, says the project will focus in particular on vulnerable groups: ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, those from rural areas, in order to better integrate them into the labor market. The essence lies in aligning the national legal framework with European standards to promote and protect social rights and the right to work.

Giulia Re, interim head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, says that vulnerable groups often face discrimination in the labor market and have limited access to education and vocational training. It is important to ensure their inclusion and give them equal opportunities to acquire skills and find jobs.

The “Consolidation of the right to work in the Republic of Moldova” project will be implemented during 2023-2025. It will strengthen the capacities of government officials to promote and protect social and employment rights, especially the employment rights of people in vulnerable groups, in line with international standards. Additionally, the project helps technical vocational education institutions become more inclusive, more sensitive to the gender dimension, able to identify and attract girls and boys, as well as women and men from vulnerable groups.