Campaign on promotion of dual education launched in Moldova

Chisinau, 21 May /MOLDPRES/ – The Ministry of Education, Culture and Research (MECC) has launched today a campaign to inform and promote dual learning "Learn, Work, Earn!". There were presented over 1,500 opportunities for young people to choose dual Profesional Technical Education (IPT) at the event.   

This type of education is an innovative study concept included within offer of over 20 IPT institutions in Moldova with involvement of over 70 companies.

The event participants had opportunity to visit several training workshops where they discussed specifics, advantages and opportunities of dual learning.

By introducing dual education as an alternative form of technical vocational education, Government and MECC assumed responsibility for implementing an innovative concept of qualified labour force training in Moldova, according to needs of local employers and foreign investors.

Attending event, Minister of MECC, Monica Babuc, has said that dual technical education is recognised and successful in developed European countries such as Germany, Switzerland or Austria. "The vast experience of these countries serves us as a benchmark in reform of IPT system in Moldova. About necessity and relevance of this reform for the whole society of Moldova, we have been talking about impulses and demands of economic environment in recent years. The offer of apprenticeship places in dual programmes, offered by economic agents, records yearly growth that we can not ignore. A substantial demand comes from foreign investors and potential investors are increasingly conditioned by investment decision to have an effective alternative form of workforce formation," said Babuc.

The National Learning Campaign "Learn, Work, Win!" aims to promote dual education and inform public opinion about opportunities for this alternative form of education for all involved actors, so as to attract a larger number of pupils to dual technical education. The action involves activities and events dedicated to dual education, taking place today, throughout summer.

The dual education is a special way of studying and professional training. The responsibilities are shared here between dual partners: company (workplace) and IPT institution – with a ratio of 30 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively. The pupils in dual education system are not trainees – they have same status as employees, signing with economic agent an apprenticeship agreement based upon which they benefit from salary. The pupils receive structured practical training in company and assimilate theory at IPT institutions, thus the pupils acquire specifics of job at workplace, while economic agents "increase" their workforce from school, according to necessities.

The project “Structural Reform in Technical Vocational Education in Moldova” is implemented by the German International Cooperation Agency in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Economic Council to the Prime Minister of Moldova, aiming at promoting the adoption of government regulation on organization and development of dual education in Moldova.

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor A. Raileanu)