Moldova’s education reforms boost vocational training and enrollment
Every year, around 14,000 young people are admitted to vocational and technical education institutions across the country.
Authorities state that, in the past five years, the number of students has remained consistent. The vocational education system has been reformed to meet labor market demands and undergo restructuring, which has changed the public perception of the quality of education, said Galina Rusu, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education and Research, on the Zi de Zi (Day by Day) program on Radio Moldova.
"In vocational and technical education, a new form of validating professional competencies has been introduced. This means that if a person has learned a trade outside the classroom, they can demonstrate their skills and obtain the appropriate certification. Additionally, we have recently been developing and approving occupational and qualification standards to ensure that our training is of the highest quality. Another key aspect of vocational education is dual education, with recent regulations leading to a 60% increase in the number of students enrolled in dual education this year. The number of companies participating in dual education has also increased," Galina Rusu stated.
According to Minister Dan Perciun, the number of young people enrolled in higher education in the Republic of Moldova has also increased, both at the bachelor's and master's levels. The official noted that, in the current year, over 16,000 students enrolled in bachelor's programs, a 6.7% increase from 2023, and around 5,700 in master's programs, reflecting a 10% increase from the previous year.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education aims to raise this percentage to 60% by 2025 through campaigns promoting universities in our country, Dan Perciun added.
A newly calculated indicator, which will become a benchmark for the ministry, is the percentage of high school graduates who choose to attend universities in the country. The figure is 51.6%. This means that almost one in two graduates chooses to remain in the country. The primary goal for 2025 is for six out of ten high school graduates to choose to stay at universities in our country, Dan Perciun specified.
For 2025, the Ministry of Education emphasizes its goal of promoting studies in the Republic of Moldova and adjusting scholarships for fields most in demand by the state.
Currently, there are 81 institutions of this profile in the Republic of Moldova, including 14 Centers of Excellence, 35 colleges, and 32 vocational schools.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
