I-PATH

Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, Moldova has hosted more than 127,000 displaced people, of whom over 70,000 remain in the country by the end of 2024. Despite ongoing government and international support, refugees continue to face significant challenges in entering the labour market due to language barriers, bureaucratic processes, and limited employment opportunities. The National Employment Agency (NEA), already under-resourced, cannot fully respond to this demand.

Key challenges faced by displaced people include

• Limited access to formal employment due to language gaps, non-recognition of qualifications, and insufficient networking opportunities.

• Fragmented and overlapping support services with little coordination,

• Overloaded NEA staff, leading to slow responses to refugee inquiries,

• Absence of digital tools for fast and reliable access to employment information,

• Lack of targeted vocational training adapted to the needs of refugees.

Our intervention responds to these challenges by.

• Conducting a baseline study to assess barriers to employment, vocational training, and job matching,,

• Developing and integrating a Chat-Bot into NEA’s Angajat.md platform to provide automated, accurate answers to common employment questions,

• Reducing NEA staff workload while improving service delivery and efficiency,

• Ensuring inclusive outreach to women, youth, and vulnerable groups who represent a large share of refugee job seekers,

• Promoting access to verified job opportunities, training offers, and information on rights and employment frameworks.

This initiative combines research, technology, and institutional support to improve access to the labour market for displaced people. It addresses urgent integration needs while creating a sustainable digital solution that strengthens Moldova’s employment services for both refugees and host communities.