SOLUTIONS4YOUTH

Country		Republic of Moldova
Project Title		Solutions for Youth to Advance (Solutions4YOUTH)
Cooperation Partners		Ministry of Education and Research, National Employment Agency, 10 VET institutions, 20 general education institutions, 5 LPAs and 10 NGOs.
Impact		Young people embrace new career opportunities for their own growth and country’s social and economic development.
Outcomes		Youth gain relevant technical and vocational skills for decent jobs, as employees or entrepreneurs.
Project Outputs		Output 1: The socio-professional integration of VET graduates is ensured by tuning and consolidating skills and provision of relevant career guidance at different stages of their educational path. Output 2: Vocational competences of youth people, including women and vulnerable groups, are up-skilled and/or reskilled by increasing flexibility of VET programs. Output 3: New paths towards self-employment/entrepreneurial activities for women and young people (including vulnerable groups) are designed. Output 4: Mainstreaming gender in VET – integrating gender perspectives to overcome discriminatory cultural norms and community practices.
Project Description		The project highlights the particular disadvantages and needs of young people in the labour market of the Republic of Moldova such as the insufficient understanding by (Vocational Education and Training) VET students and potential applicants of VET based career paths, the persisting gender disparities in accessing VET institutions, the large proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), the impediments encountered by people with special needs when choosing a VET institution, and the rigidity of continuous vocational education and training (CVET) providers that subsequently are proposed by the National Employment Agency (ANOFM) for the unemployed. The project intervenes with new approaches in the career guidance system, vocational competences, self-employment/entrepreneurial activities, and gender main-stream. As a result, institutions will be capable to provide quality VET services (initial and continuous) that develop skills demanded on the labour market. Among the main results expected from the implementation of the project are as follows: 1. Raising the employability of VET institutions graduates by developing curriculum on ”Designing Career and Developing Soft Skills for Employment/Entrepreneurial Activities” 2. Approving and implementing Career Guidance system at institutional level. 3. Piloting and institutionalizing the infusional approach in 5 disciplines within the general education system. 4. Development of flexible training programs that meet the labor market needs. 5. Development and implementation of the Platform ”Voucher for the professional training of the unemployed” designed to digitalize the process for professional trainings delivered for unemployed. 6. Capacity building activities for young people, NEET, disadvantaged groups to engage in entrepreneurial / self-employment activities. 7. Support young people to develop their economic activities with knowledge, equipment and mentorship / coaching. 8. Strengthening the capacity of VET providers and involve LPA’s, local NGO’s and stakeholders in the career guidance of youth to overcome gender disparity and prevent NEET. 9. Organizing Summer Schools for young women is formed to overcome discriminatory cultural norms and guidance in career development paths and / or entrepreneurial spirit.
Duration		1 May 2023 – 30 April 2027
Project Budget		1 068 250 EUR – 961 600 EUR (Austrian Development Agency Contribution) – 29 900 EUR (Center for Entrepreneurial Education and Business Support Contribution) – 76 750 EUR (National Employment Agency Contribution)