In Moldova there are enough highly skilled professionals. Still, employers often struggle with shortages of skilled personnel. This discrepancy has been revealed in two studies, conducted in parallel among employers and people employed or looking for a job. The conclusions of the questionnaires were presented today at a roundtable on “The demand and supply of skills in the labor market of the Republic of Moldova”, organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection (MHLSP).
Anastasia Oceretnîi, MHLSP state secretary, said one of the studies was carried out by the National Employment Agency, in collaboration with the World Bank, and questioned 3,000 employers. The second study was carried out by the sociological company IMAS and covered 2,000 households from all over Moldova.
“These surveys collected information that will help the government draft a roadmap. Workforce competence requires a complex, interdisciplinary, intersectoral approach”, said the state secretary. Also, according to Anastasia Oceretnîi, the surveys were designed to help employers find specialists faster, and to minimize transition from graduation to employment.
Raisa Dogaru, director of the National Employment Agency, said that starting with 2019, ANOFM annually surveys employers and prepares a short-term labor market forecast, as well as a barometer of professions to measure the need on the labor market. Raisa Dogaru also said that 2016 was the first year when data on skills demand was collected and a "Skills Module" was developed.
The findings of the surveys were presented by WB expert Anam Rizvi. “There are skilled workers in Moldova and there are jobs for them,” said Anam Rizvi. The World Bank expert said that, according to the survey results, 64% of the respondents are active in the labor market - they work or are looking for a job - and are highly skilled. There is also a high demand from employers for highly qualified staff, one third of employers even mentioning that they lack such employees.
Another finding of the studies was that most citizens of Moldova have a short transition between the moment they graduate and the moment they find a job.
“Demand for skills will change with the changing economic structures and it is important to address the skills gap in the future,” Anam Rizvi said.
