2024

In 2024, The Ministry of Education and Research has introduced key reforms in vocational and adult education, including free professional retraining for teachers, the establishment of a national education and leadership institute, the expansion of vocational training specialisations, and the approval of a new regulatory framework for adult education:

• Free Professional Retraining Courses for 1,200 Teachers – In 2024, approximately 1,200 teachers from general and technical vocational education benefited from free professional retraining courses. The Ministry of Education and Research fully covered the programme costs. This opportunity was available to teachers enrolling in 60-credit professional retraining programmes related to their initial field of study.
• Launch of the National Institute for Education and Leadership (INEL) – the newly established institute aims to train 1,000 mentors, develop mentoring programmes and partnerships for pedagogical practice, and promote the teaching profession among young people.
• New Specialisations and Qualifications Added to the Nomenclature of Fields in Vocational Education and Training Programmes  – the official lists of vocational training fields have been updated to include new specialisations aligned with ISCED levels 4 and 5. These additions aim to prepare skilled professionals in fields such as arts, construction, energy, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. Among the new programmes are Agricultural Technology and Digitalisation, Cultural Services Planning, Vocational Teacher Training, and Renewable Energy Systems.
• Approval of the New Adult Education Regulation – the government has adopted a revised version of the Adult Education Regulation, defining key aspects such as training programme types and duration, micro-qualifications, and the evaluation and certification of adult professional training.

2023

In 2023, vocational education and training in the Republic of Moldova was subjected to reforms aimed at modernising and making this sector more efficient, especially by promoting dual education, strengthening institutions and adjusting the financial and curricular framework. These reforms were initiated to respond to the needs of the labour market and improve the practical training of young people.

A. Development of dual education

One of the most important reforms in 2023 was the implementation of Law no. 110/2022 on dual education, which aims at the deeper integration of professional training in the economic environment. In this sense, important measures have been adopted for the efficient realisation of this type of education:

• Government Decision no. 97/2023 established the Register of dual education units, using the Education Management Information System (SIME). It is to be widely implemented from 1 September 2024.
• Criteria regarding the compliance of economic units for participation in dual education have been established. Thus, 92 economic units were evaluated, and 48 of them received certificates of compliance.
• The regulation on the compensation of the expenses of the economic units involved in dual education was approved, facilitating the reimbursement of the costs borne by the companies. Between August and September 2023, 26 economic units received compensation of around 3.5 million lei (approx. 180.5 thousand euro).

B. Normative framework and guidelines for dual education

As part of the reform, two essential practical guides were developed and published:

• The guide for drawing up the professional training contract for dual education, which supports pupils, economic units and educational institutions in order to perfect the professional training contract.
• Guide to drawing up the cooperation agreement between economic units and VET institutions, clarifying the legal and procedural framework for collaboration between them.

C.  Reform of the financing of vocational education and training institutions

Following an extensive analysis of the costs of vocational education and training institutions, in 2023 the Government Decision no. 628/2023, which establishes the financing methodology of these institutions was approved. The new methodology allocates resources according to the National Plan for the training of specialised staff, ensuring adequate funding for professional training in accordance with the needs of the labour market.

D. Consolidation of Centers of Excellence

In 2023, the consolidation of centers of excellence continued, allocating funds of approximately 1 million lei (approx. 51.5 thousand euro) for the training of over 600 teaching staff in 8 centers of excellence.

E. Reorganisation of the network of institutions

Another element of the 2023 reform was the reorganisation of the network of vocational education and training institutions:

• Government Decision no. 793/2022 transferred 8 VET institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Research, which were previously subordinated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry.
• Also, three professional schools (from Cimișlia, Drochia, and Călărași) were liquidated to make the professional-technical education system more efficient.

F. Other reforms 

Among the other reform measures adopted in 2023 are:

• Updating the Framework Plan for Secondary, Post-secondary and Post-secondary Non-tertiary Vocational Education (Order no. 1003/2023);
• Allocation of an additional budget of 36 million lei (approx. 1.85 million euro) for the complementary financing of the institutions;
• Curriculum development for 90% of the 220 programmes offered by vocational education and training institutions;
• Increasing the salaries of management personnel and other categories, including the coefficient for tutor activity.

2022

In order to consolidate and develop the normative framework for vocational education and training, in 2022 the following normative/legislative and methodological acts were developed/approved.

1) Law no. 110/2022 regarding dual education: The law regulates the way dual education is organised and conducted. This provides the responsibilities of the authorities involved in dual education (the Government, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Economy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova), as well as the way of organising and conducting dual education.

2) Government Decision no. 320/2022 which amended Government Decision no. 1234/2018 regarding the increase of the minimum salary for the staff of educational institutions that operate in a financial-economic self-management regime from 2000 lei to 3500 lei, as well as the salary classes for management staff, for the functions of laboratory technician and librarian, in the field of VET education.

3) Government Decision no. 463/2022 regarding the increase, from September 1, 2022, of the normative amount for providing lunch for pupils in secondary VET institutions, from 12 lei/day (approx. 0.6 euro) to 14.40 lei/day (approx. 0.74 euro).

4) Regulation on the organisation and conduct of admission to VET programmes, approved by Order no. 648/ 2022 of the Minister of Education and Research. It establishes the general framework for the organisation of the admission competition to VET programmes. Thus, the admission competition in VET is carried out through the SIME e-Admission information system.

In the field of lifelong learning, in 2022 there were:

• developed, evaluated and provisionally authorised/accredited 110 continuous training programmes;
• created two new Centers for the validation of professional skills;
• developed and provided professional skills validation services in 17 new domains and specialties in the fields of: economy, finance, energy and electronics;
• certified professional skills for 243 citizens.