Moldova
The European Union cooperates with Moldova in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and its eastern regional dimension, the Eastern Partnership. The European Training Foundation (ETF) supports the European Commission and the EU's External Action Service, including responding to requests from the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, by providing inputs to the relevant bilateral sub-committees, follow up of the Mobility Partnership and contributing to the annual country reporting on education and training and employment developments.
The EU’s first regional programme supporting education reforms and skills in the Eastern Partnership region was formally launched in Turin in May 2024. This EUR 2.5 million, three-year (2024–26) programme – to be implemented by the ETF – aims to enhance the efficiency, quality, equity, equality and relevance of education systems in five countries of the region, including Moldova.
The ETF facilitates a sectoral dialogue on how to use Torino Process recommendations in the context of the overall reform of skills development in the country. It continues to support the Ministry of Education on the National Qualification Framework, and the Ministry of Labour on sector committees, establishing coordination mechanisms to ensure that qualifications are developed in line with labour market needs and structured around occupational profiles developed by the sector committees. Moreover, the ETF facilitates discussions amongst the key stakeholders of the Labour Market Observatory, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education on incorporating recommendations of labour market studies developed by the Labour Market Observatory and other donors into policy decisions.
Following the request of the Ministry of Education, the ETF has facilitated a revision of the overall VET system using its Multilevel Governance Toolkit to inform operational plan developments for the Education strategy 2020–27.
Read our 2024 update on Key policy developments in education, training and employment (ETF, 2024). For a quick overview, see below:
2024 developments at a glance
🏛️Political landscape: in November 2024, the pro-European Party of Action (PAS) was re-elected, albeit by a close margin;
📉Demographic shifts: Moldova’s ageing population (over 50% in rural areas) and high emigration continue to shrink the workforce, straining the economy and the skills availability, especially in the health and education sectors. The Moldova National Development Strategy 2030 prioritises a sustainable and inclusive economy, better living conditions, reduced informal employment, and a healthier environment;
🤝 Refugee integration: Moldova hosts around 120,000 Ukrainian refugees (over 4.5% of the country’s total population), the highest proportion in any country. With EU support, the government has implemented effective policies to improve refugees’ access to work and education, although only 2,325 of 50,000 school-aged Ukrainian refugees are enrolled in the education system;
👩🎓 Education reform: The Education Development Strategy 2020-2030 action plan was approved in 2023 and now comprises the VET strategic framework. The strategy focuses on improving quality, inclusion, digitalisation, and lifelong learning, which has doubled participation from 1.3% to 2.2% in 2023;
🏫 Vocational education and training (VET): in 2022, 44.8% of upper secondary students were enrolled in VET, a stable trend over the past decade. However, gender disparity remains high, with boys making up 72.4% of technical VET students, compared to 27.6% for girls. Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) are playing an increasingly active role, and the Ministry of Education plans to replicate this model in general education to enhance efficiency, quality, and access;
🛠️ Dual education expansion: Student enrollment increased by 60% in 2024 due to targeted cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and the Chamber of Commerce;
💼 Labour market recovery: the employment rate rose to 43.1% (from 40.5% in 2022). The National Employment Programme 2022-2026 prioritises women and vulnerable groups, while the National Employment Agency received increased funding to expand start-up support, business partnerships, job training, and career guidance. However, informal employment remains high (23%), particularly in agriculture (44%) and construction (23%);
👦 👧 Youth in focus: the share of 15-24-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEETs) dropped significantly from 17.2% (2022) to 13.8% (2023), though female NEETs remain twice as many as males. The youth unemployment rate rose to 11.5%, underscoring persistent skills mismatches and employment challenges;
💻 Digital skills: in 2024, the ETF assessed VET digitalisation through the Digital Education Reform Network, providing key recommendations. A 2023 UNICEF project supported digitalisation reforms, with plans to extend its results from general education to VET. While digital competencies are included in policies, teachers lack structured ICT training, and low salaries hinder recruitment and retention, especially in rural areas.