During four years, the European Union, together with all the subjects involved in technical education in Moldova, has worked to improve the capacities of the players in the field and to determine if the taught courses are relevant or not to the labor market. “We know that Moldova is in the process of modernization and the teachers, students, employers and potential investors have expectations,” Aneil Singh, Head of Operations Section at the EU Delegation to Moldova, said in a conference held on December 13. According to Aneil Singh, emphases earlier was placed on the professional training in school, but now is put on the direct training at the employer, the workplace, IPN reports.
Within the EU-funded project “Technical assistance for education and professional training in Moldova” that was launched in 2014, dialogue platforms were established between the labor market and education institutions in building, transport, agriculture, food industry, IT and other areas. There were created Centers of Excellence that were outfitted with digital blackboards and modern equipment. Among the future plans are to outfit the professional-technical institutions, to adjust the teaching aids to the labor market requirements and to put into practice the new financing formula based on the cost per student and program cost and to promote new professions.
The young people who study at professional-technical education institutions said they would like to have access to more sources of information. Now they have to study using teaching materials in another language, some of which date from the Soviet period, and to practice in badly equipped labs or labs with outdated equipment.
Lilian Merla, of the National Student Council of Calarasi, said more students choose a professional school now because they can get a profession that will help them become independent faster and quicker find a job. “We want to be able to pass the Baccalaureate exams in professional schools, but the courses should be complemented with lyceum disciplines for the purpose. It is harder to do this when the teaching aids are from the Soviet period and are in Russian,” stated Lilian Merla.
Emilia Carauș studies clothing design at the Center of Excellence in Light Industry. The Center includes workshops, but these are not all appropriately outfitted. “I would like more books and methods of acquiring knowledge to exist so that I could choose,” she stated.
Silviu Gancu, head of the Technical Professional Education Division of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, said that together with the EU they managed to implement a number of initiatives in the field, including reorganizing institutions. There were closed over 20 institutions and created ten Centers of Excellence. Teachers were trained how to implement the curriculum. There was launched the National Youth Council that makes sure the voice of students is heard in the decision-making process at the institution.
The project is financed by the EU and is implemented by a consortium led by the German company GOPA Consultans Worldwide, with a budget of over €3.6 million.
