€80 million investment to modernize 25 vocational schools, colleges, and centers of excellence by 2032

Students at 25 technical vocational education institutions in the Republic of Moldova will have access to modernized study spaces, equipment for practical training, and improved dormitory conditions. The €80 million investment will be made under the Loan Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the Council of Europe Development Bank “Modernization of Technical Vocational Education Institutions”.

In total, 47 buildings will be renovated: 24 educational buildings, including workshops and laboratories, and 23 dormitories. More than 21,000 students study at the 25 institutions, representing 40 percent of all students in technical vocational education. Eleven of the beneficiary institutions are located in Chișinău, while the other 14 are in cities across the country. At 15 institutions, both study spaces and dormitories will be modernized. At another 10 institutions, major renovations and equipment upgrades will be carried out in the dormitories.

“This is the largest investment the state has made in technical vocational education since independence. Such an amount allows us to improve study conditions more quickly and make this system as attractive as possible. In the age of artificial intelligence, which is taking over skills among people with higher education, those who choose a career in vocational education may subsequently find a good job more easily, and we must support this process,” said Dan Perciun, Minister of Education and Research.

The institutions were selected based on their relevance to priority sectors of the economy, investment needs, and the impact they can have in their regions. The modernized workshops and laboratories will support training in agriculture and agri-food processing, construction, energy, and information and communications technology. Students will be able to practice using equipment adapted to the professions they are learning, while teachers and instructor-trainers will be able to use it in both theoretical and practical classes.

The modernization of study spaces, workshops, laboratories, and dormitories is planned at the following 15 institutions:

Center of Excellence in Energy and Electronics;

Vocational School in Rîșcani;

No. 6 Vocational School in Chișinău;

Vocational School in Ceadîr-Lunga;

No. 5 Vocational School in Bălți;

Vocational School in Ungheni;

Center of Excellence in Transport;

College of the Technical University of Moldova;

Center of Excellence in Construction;

Vocational School in Florești;

Vocational School in Cupcini, Edineț;

Polytechnic College in Bălți;

Agricultural Technical College in Soroca;

No. 2 Vocational School in Cahul;

Center of Excellence in Informatics and Information Technologies.

Another 10 institutions are included in the dormitory renovation component:

Alexei Mateevici College in Chișinău;

Vocational School in Căușeni;

Medical College in Cahul;

Vasile Lupu College in Orhei;

Construction College in Hîncești;

College of Ecology in Chișinău;

No. 2 Vocational School in Chișinău;

No. 3 Vocational School in Chișinău;

Ștefan Neaga Center of Excellence for Arts Education;

Vocational School in Leova.

The investments aim to provide young people with training conditions similar to those they will encounter in the workplace and to support the development of specialists needed by the country's economy. The project is planned for the 2026–2032 period and is part of the Growth Plan for the Republic of Moldova, supported by the European Union. The financing package includes a €33 million loan from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), a €7 million grant through the Neighbourhood Investment Platform, and a €40 million contribution from the Republic of Moldova through the Reform and Growth Facility.

Currently, the Republic of Moldova has 79 technical vocational education institutions: 32 vocational schools, 34 colleges, and 13 centers of excellence. In total, around 50,000 students study at these institutions, with the educational process provided by approximately 3,500 teaching staff.