Mihail Chiperi, 44, although employed, only now could apply for obtaining the very much needed plumbing certification. He was among the first in Moldova who applied for the evaluation of knowledge and recognition of qualifications in construction field.

Other five education institutions of Moldova were accredited to assess people who have acquired professional experience and want to have their competences recognized officially.

Thanks to a pilot mechanism developed in 2019 by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, this year the validation program was extended nationally to textile, beauty, IT, transport and healthcare industries, the latter being focused on older people care.

This initiative is supported by UNDP “Migration and local development” project with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, Mission to Moldova.

Those who want to file an application for the recognition of professional competences should go to one of the validations centres of the accredited educational institutions. The first validations centres involved in piloting phase covered fields of construction, public food, pedagogy and ecology.

After the submission of required documents, the beneficiaries of the program should pass the theoretical and practical examination to obtain a certificate that confirms the professional skills acquired throughout life.

More details about the process of recognizing professional competences and qualifications, required documents, and contact data of validation centres can be found here.

The assessment fee will be covered by UNDP “Migration and local development” project, with the financial support of the Switzerland, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, Mission to Moldova.

The recognition of non-formal and informal qualifications is the process through which a competent institution confirms that an individual has professional knowledge and skills obtained through work experience, in the absence of specialized studies. Thus, individuals who have their qualifications recognized and who obtain these certificates will be able to get employed legally and rapidly. The beneficiaries can be both residents of Moldova and retuning migrants who acquired new professional skills working in fields that are different from those they studied.

So far, 47 candidates received certificates in 12 professions: baker, confectioner, waiter, controller/teller, cook, painter, plate placer, blacksmith and concrete worker, plasterer, bricklayer-stonemason, plumber, and settler of walls and ceilings of gypsum plasterboard.

This initiative intends to align the education system to the needs of the labour market, create conditions for legal and decent labour of Moldovan workers, and integrate retuning migrants on the labour market in a simple and efficient manner.