Closing the gap between schools and industry needs in Moldova

June 7, 2018

TwentyTu will deliver courses in robotics and other areas for children between 7 and 19 years old. Photo credit: UNDP Moldova.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is teaming up with Tekwill – a Moldovan ICT lab – to offer free cutting-edge education to more than 80,000 children in Moldova aged between 7 and 19 years old. 2,200 teachers will also be trained in the process.

TwentyTu, a pioneering educational programme, will deliver online and offline courses in more than 10 fields identified as crucial for future economic growth and jobs creation, including robotics, interactive programming, Artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, graphic design and emotional intelligence. The initiative’s ultimate goal will be to integrate all TwentyTu courses as optional disciplines into the country’s official curricula by September 2022.

With initial 500,000 euro funding, the effort will be funded through Moldova’s diaspora and businesses, with funds matched by the Swedish government.

“All courses will integrate the concepts of teamwork, micro-learning, decision-making and learning-by-play,” says Ana Chirita, executive director of the Moldovan Association of ICT Companies. “This is the modern economy. Schools around the world have been slow to adapt but we’re leapfrogging, using the country’s immense potential”.

Tekwill’s mission is to bridge the gap between current IT educational programs and industry needs. The center seeks to develop local ICT talent, transfer knowledge, promote a greater understanding of, and interest in, the technological sector, and encourage the building of digital communities in Moldova.