Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation offers Moldova technical assistance worth CHF 1.6 mln

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation will offer Moldova technical assistance valued at 1.6 mln Swiss francs to create the Moldovan Occupational Standards, Evaluation and Certification System (OSECS). Minister of Economy and Commerce, Igor Dodon, and Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation, Christian Faessler, signed on Tuesday 24 October, the Memorandum of agreement aimed at offering assistance for the creation of OSECS. Such an institution will deal with the following three basic domains: elaboration and adjustment of profiles and occupational standards, elaboration of the relevant tests, as well as the testing and certification of graduates of the vocational qualifications system and of the migrants returned to the country, of the persons without any workplace and of the workers willing to get a higher rank or to test their abilities to obtain an advanced education. The project’s objective is to create a more flexible system and better adjusted to the employment demand, which will support the integration of all categories of persons looking for a workplace. MEC will constitute the National Council for Occupational Standards, Evaluation and Certification that will function as a consultative body under the Ministry and will recommend the national standards in the field for approval. The Council will submit proposals regarding the improvement of the national policy related to evaluation and certification. The project will be implemented till 1 March 2007 – 28 February 2008. Till now, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation financed 50 projects of technical and humanitarian assistance for Moldova in the amount of about 15.8 mln USD. Seven projects with a total budget of 4.3 mln USD are underway at present.