Over 2,000 vacancies were offered at the job fair in Bălți, including for refugees from Ukraine

More than 2000 vacancies were offered by employers – private companies and state institutions – at a job fair held in Bălți. The event was organised by the National Agency for Employment (NEA), the Employment Division of Bălți municipality, in partnership with the “The Mayors for Economic Growth” initiative, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  

More than 300 men and women attended the fair, including refugees from Ukraine, who are looking for work or want to gain new skills.  

The event programme included the presentation of employers’ offers, a panel discussion with employers as well as other relevant parties on refugee employment, start-up business opportunities, as well as workshops on CV preparation and job interviews. The participants of the event had the opportunity to identify their priority areas of professional interest and were provided with career guidance by experts in the field.

The fair was marked by the signing of a cooperation agreement between NEA, represented by the Employment Division of Bălți municipality and the “Alecu Russo” State University of Bălți. The agreement aims to build and develop a continuous and effective partnership between the parties to promote youth employment initiatives, to provide career guidance services to students/graduates, to support graduates of educational institutions in their integration into the labour market, to support young people in identifying career opportunities and to implement employment policies.

“This traditional event provides job seekers with comprehensive information about the multitude of job opportunities in Bălți municipality while encouraging them to meet with employers to learn about their job requirements and the specifics of the current labour market. The job fair also strengthens the connection between supply and demand in the labour market, promoting the services offered by NEA, the priority being to increase the level of employment in all regions of the country,” said Raisa Dogaru, NEA Director.

“Increasing employment and ensuring decent work for all are key aspects of sustainable development. The European Union provides continuous support to the Republic of Moldova for the creation of decent jobs through various programmes aimed at strengthening the capacities of public institutions and developing local businesses. Decent jobs help reduce inequality and poverty. I am convinced that today’s event will facilitate communication between employers and unemployed people, including refugees, as employment can help combat social isolation and develop a sense of belonging to this community,” said Aurica Butnari, Programme Manager, EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova.

“UNDP Moldova has a long-lasting cooperation with the National Employment Agency, focused on improving the quality and visibility of its services. Through this job fair, together with the European Union, we aim to inform and facilitate access to available jobs in the northern region of the country, especially in the municipality of Bălți, for citizens of the Republic of Moldova, but also refugees from Ukraine,” said Zinaida Adam, Programme Officer at UNDP Moldova.

One of the thematic workshops at the fair focused on the connection between the education system and the labour market. The discussions were attended by representatives of the private sector, companies that employ graduates of higher and medium education institutions and that offer the possibility for a traineeship, but also for dual education – meaning that the trainee/student attends school and is employed at the same time. The topic of vocational training and/or retraining of refugees from Ukraine to facilitate employment was also addressed.

By the end of September, according to the notifications from entrepreneurs received by the NEA, more than 800 Ukrainian citizens were employed: about 630 women and 200 men, with more than 75% being employed in Chișinău.

As a strategic partner of the National Employment Agency, UNDP contributes to strengthening service delivery efforts for Ukrainian refugees seeking employment through outreach activities (including job fairs), labour market counselling, referral and mediation services, and facilitating skills recognition.

Under the EU-UNDP “The Mayors for Economic Growth” initiative, refugees from Ukraine are encouraged to make the most of job opportunities in the ICT sector. About 200 refugees from Bălți and Găgăuzia region are set to learn accounting, data management, graphic design, and basic computer skills, as well as short-term courses on the Romanian language to be able to access job opportunities and socially integrate in their host communities.