Republic of Moldova

Since 2010, DVV International has been working in the Republic of Moldova through a country office in Chişinău, the capital city. Since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine, Chişinău has been the seat of the regional office. The office coordinates activities in Moldova as well as in Ukraine, where there is still a country office. The Regional Office also manages the Continental Project Europe, which promotes the exchange of expertise between all DVV International project countries in Europe as well as other non-EU countries in Europe.

Moldova does not have a strong tradition of non-formal learning and education for adults outside of continuing vocational training. The landscape of adult learning and education (ALE) providers in Moldova is not very diverse and is concentrated in the country’s urban centres, which exacerbates the problem of a lack of educational equity. Public funding for ALE, apart from the promotion of vocational training for a few professional groups such as teachers or doctors, is only provided for vocational training and retraining of the unemployed as well as the promotion of learning the official state language (Romanian) among ethnic minorities, refugees and migrants. The city of Chisinau is an exception here. Since 2023, it has been partially financing an urban adult education centre with a wide range of courses from the city budget.

Main focus of work

• Improving the framework conditions for ALE: Along with civil society organisations, DVV International works through needs-based policy advice to ensure that adult learning and education is recognised at national and local level as an important factor for the development of people and society as a whole. An important component of these efforts is the creation of policy documents, strategies and/or programmes which are created or revised in a participatory manner and benefit supporting organisations and learners.
• Strengthening ALE centres: DVV International supports three ALE centres under different sponsorship (municipal, university and non-governmental organisations) in their organisational development. Through a tailor-made training programme (based on DVV International’s Curriculum institutionALE), the partners increase their capacities, especially in reaching target groups, in diversifying their educational offerings and in developing sources of funding.
• Professionalisation of ALE teachers: The Curriculum globALE framework curriculum developed by DVV International is systematically used to increase the methodological competence of teachers in adult learning and education.
• Expansion and qualitative improvement of ALE programmes in three municipalities: Together with local partners, educational programmes are being developed and piloted to meet the needs of the local population for job-related, income-generating and employment-promoting further education.

Partners

The most important local partners are the city of Chişinău and its municipal ALE centre, the NGO-run centre in the city of Bãlţi (planned from January 2025), the State University of Moldova and Pro Didactica, the country’s only specialist organisation for ALE and continuing education.