Today, 19 February 2021, with the support of the European Union,the Centre of Excellence in Horticulture and Agricultural Technologies (CEHTA) from Țaul, Donduseni, inaugurated the vocational education and training (VET) section. The new training room will offer expanded modern and innovative training educational approaches for youth and adults, providing training opportunities and retraining programmes to employees and farm owners.

With the inauguration of the new multifunctional centre, the trainees will have the opportunity to improve their professional competences in the agri-food sector and related fields of work. CEHTA will offer 2 new courses: “Quality standards in the agri-food field” and “Growing vegetables in protected land”. This will contribute to ensuring a certain quality of the technical vocational education, which aims at growing a competitive workforce for the labour market.

Due to the European Union support provided through the EU-funded project Development of Rural Areas in the Republic of Moldova (DevRAM), the training premises have been renovated and endowed with modern equipment,complying with all environmental requirements, as well as learning and interactive teaching standards.

Mr. Mihail Machidon, Stat Secretary, Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, who participated in the event, referred to the importance of agricultural education for the economy in the Republic of Moldova. He noted that solid cooperation between educational and research institutions, farmers and the business sector is crucial to ensure that national agriculture can be modernised and made internationally competitive. In addition, Mihail Machidon also highlighted that the young generation is attracted to invest in this sector.

Mr. Gintautas Baranauskas, Deputy Head of Operations, EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, underlined that investing in the development of rural areas in the Republic of Moldova is a key priority for the European Union, in particular by providing opportunities for the youth and accelerating economic growth and integration.

Dr. Gunther Zimmer, Head of the Austrian Development Cooperation’s local office in Chisinau, mentioned the institutional reform initiated by the project includes the revision of standard documents and working methods, reconceptualisation of the educational process and even the classrooms. Subsequently, the biggest achievement of this project is, that the institutional reform initiated by the project, that can be given as an example for the entire VET reform. Furthermore, this project has also created synergies and partnerships that will last between educational institutions, state authorities, the business community and international donors.

Among the VET students, 3 “Soybean Ambassadors”, winners of the DevRAM contest in 2020,were nominated, awarded and encouraged to further promote their ideas on ​​soybean cultivation and production.

On the day, a similar inauguration took place in Râșcani. The mechanical workshop within the department “Machines and appliances in the food industry” opens its doors at the Agroindustrial College in Râșcani. The workshop was recently re-equipped with the support of the European Union. The new practical training facilities will allow several generations of students, future mechanical technicians, to acquire the necessary skills in line with up-to-date requirements that will help them obtain jobs.

With the improvement made with the support of the European Union project “DevRAM”, Part I, the initial and continuing training process in agri-food technical vocational education will be much closer to the labour market for thousands of students and specialists in the field.

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The project “DevRAM”, Part I, financed by the European Union, includes a series of support areas. Some of the project´s outcomes with major impact on the community include the strengthening the capacity of vocational education institutions in the agri-food sector,improved technical and material base, training programs for managers, teachers and students, training of trainers, modernized practical training laboratories, creation of websites and virtual tours, participation in national and international exhibitions. The project works directly in 7 VET institutions, but extend its impact to all agri-VET institutions in the Republic of Moldova.

The project “DevRAM”, Part I is financed by the European Union and implemented by the Austrian Development Agency, in partnership with the PRO DIDACTICA Educational Center and the Donau Soja International Association (Austria).