Dual education to be expanded in universities

Chisinau, 25 Sep. /MOLDPRES/- Young people studying in universities will be able to combine their studies with work in a company and benefit from a salary. The practice, which until now was applied only in vocational technical education, will be extended starting next year also in higher education institutions. The regulation on the organization of dual education in universities was approved today by the Government.

Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun explained that third and fourth year students will be able to benefit from the new facilities, who will have the opportunity to spend "up to 40% dedicated to studies directly in a company working". At the first stage, the practice will be applied, according to the minister, to specialties such as marketing and logistics, pedagogy, engineering or IT.

"An important objective for the Government and the Ministry of Education and Research is to ensure the relevance of studies, including university studies, for the labor market. Today we propose the approval of a regulation on organization and conduct of dual education in higher education. This means that our students will be able to work in companies during their studies and at the same time learn, being paid by the company. The time spent in the company will be accounted for in the account of the studies they carry out", said Dan Perciun.

The official added that the practice is already successfully applied in vocational technical education, where this year around 1,600 students are enrolled who work and study simultaneously. "We want to bring the same practice to universities, respectively starting from the third year and the fourth year, students will be able to spend up to 40% dedicated to their studies directly in a company working. The objective is to start with specialties where the theoretical part is less. We are talking here about applied specialties, logistics, marketing, accounting, IT", he said.

Dan Perciun mentioned that the initiative will contribute to increasing the employment rate of young people after completing their studies, increasing the relevance of study programs and better connecting them to the labor market.

In the Republic of Moldova there are 16 institutions of higher education, with over 200 specialties and study programs, where about 56 thousand students study.