Moldova

LOCAL SKILLS MATTER Moldova

A study of good practice in the application of territorial governance tools to VET in Moldova, undertaken as part of the Entrepreneurial Communities initiative.

Short description:

In 2013, as part of its work on multilevel VET governance, the ETF launched its Entrepreneurial Communities initiative to identify and acknowledge local partnerships that foster skills, entrepreneurship and job creation. The goal was to explore and learn from examples in partner countries, in order to understand how these partnerships are formed, the impact they can have on communities and how they can inform VET policy.

This report describes an entrepreneurial community based in Ungheni a small, dynamic city in an agricultural region of Moldova close to the border with Romania. Moldova has the lowest rate of urbanisation in Europe and needs to find ways to stimulate its rural economy, provide jobs and promote wealth creation. The community is led by the Entrepreneurial House of Ungheni (EHU), and partners include Ungheni City Hall, Ungheni District Council, the Ungheni Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Agriculture Association, the Ungheni Business Incubator, the Ungheni Business Support Centre, and a local branch of the Alliance Française.

This entrepreneurial community was formed in 2003 as a result of funding from the EU’s TACIS Programme, and follow-on funding was assured by the local authorities. By 2014 more than 60 companies had been hosted by the Business Incubator, which provides access to training, consultants, experts and mentors, as well as help in reaching international markets, especially in Romania. In addition, the community collaborated with the City Hall on the development of a Free Economic Zone, which in 2014 became home to 35 registered businesses employing over 2 100 people. The EHU is seen as an example to be replicated in other parts of the country.

You may read the document below and see the video here.