EU Twinning project supporting the implementation of VET Strategy 2013-2020 of the Republic of Moldova ends its activity

EU Twinning Project “Enhancing quality and effectiveness of VET system in Republic of Moldova” ended in May 2021, after a two years of implementation March 2019 – May 2021. The project was implemented by a team which brought together experts from Finland, Estonia and Lithuania. The Project supported the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research in further implementation of VET Strategy 2013-2020 by improving capacity of key stakeholders to assure quality and modernization of VET system in Moldova.

Strengthening the institutional and operational capacities and staff competences from the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research (ANACEC) was one of the main focuses of the Project. In this sense the ANACEC was supported to organize the self-assessment process, based on ESG requirements and to put down a self-assessment report for becoming a member of ENQA. A mock interview that simulates the process of ANACEC defense procedure in front of ENQA panel was organized at the end of the project. The advantages for Moldova education system related to this fact are very important, since in this way the diplomas and qualification certificates issued by Moldova education system are going to be acknowledged in EU. This, at its turn, will facilitate the academic and labor mobility and will facilitate to European integration.

Supporting the further implementation of National Qualifications Framework of the Republic of Moldova was other focus of Twinning Project. NQF is closely linked to the ANACEC activity, since all the verification during accreditation of education programs are based on Qualification Standards that are part of NQF. The standards should meet the requirement of labor market and lead to the development of needed professional competences. A huge work was run within the working group assigned by the MoECR and Twinning Excerpts from Lithuania and Estonia in order to develop the concept and the vision for future development of NQF and National Qualification System in Moldova.

The promotion of lifelong learning in the context of permanent changing labor market demands is one of the priorities of MoECR. Validation of competences acquired in non-formal and informal environment, development of concept for lifelong learning promotion campaign and sharing the innovative ways of learning was part of project activities. Representatives of 15 Centers for continuous education for teachers and VET Centers of Excellence learned from Finnish and Estonian colleagues how to organize the education process where teachers are more mentors and coaches, than authorities that disseminate information.

With the support of Finnish experts a website www.iptdigital.md was developed as a repository for digital learning materials for teachers and students from VET system. Digital competences of VET teachers from Centers of Excellence were strengthened during the project lifetime with the idea that they are becoming disseminators of information across the whole network of VET institutions.

The Project was organized in a way that the activities started would continue and would support the further modernization of VET system and improvement of education quality.  

The Project’s closing event may be watched on the following link: