The EU4Digital Facility organised a training for Moldova on the establishment and management of National Digital Skills and Jobs Coalitions on October 16, 2020.

The aim of the training was to introduce national experts from Moldova to in-depth principles of establishing and managing National Coalitions, and to discuss recommendations for the next steps after a National Coalition is established in Moldova.

The training covered:

• General overview of National Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition in EU;
• Principles and best practices for designing National Digital skills strategies and Action plans;
• National Coalition structure and management principles across the EU;
• EU best practices of National Coalition activities promoting digital skills for all citizens;
• EU best practices of National Coalition activities promoting digital skills in education;
• Cooperation with EU National Coalitions, existing best practices, tools and resources.

More than 40 Moldovan experts representing various ministries, education institutions, industry associations and government agencies participated in the training. 

Present at the event, the Minister of Education, Culture and Research of Moldova, Igor Sharov, reflected: “Digital skills are vital for increasingly digitalised economies and societies. By supporting the development of digital skills and creating such a national coalition in the Republic of Moldova, we will contribute to connecting skills with the demand of emerging sectors, contributing to job creation, private sector development and dynamic economic growth.”

He thanked the organisers and participants of the training session for their interest in developing a sustainable partnership to improve the field of digital skills: “Together we can create synergies and explore ideas for joint projects in order to develop the digital skills of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, thus contributing to the country’s economic growth and alignment with European standards.”

The Minister’s message was echoed by Irina Oriol, representing the Moldovan Association of Information and Communications Technology Companies: “The Creation of a National Coalition on Digital skills will strengthen the efforts of all stakeholders in mitigation of the digital skills gap among different groups of the population, enhancing employability and compliance with international standards. The National Association of ICT companies commits to involve the most relevant and interested partners in the development of a strategy and action plan aimed at the upskilling and reskilling of employees and low-skilled individuals, developing high-level digital skills for ICT professionals in all industry sectors and engaging all the citizens, building a digital society.” 

“The open dialogue among state institutions, education providers, non-governmental organisations, IT and IT-related association, public sector can considerably contribute to economic growth and national welfare,” she added.

The training was carried out as part of activities under the EU4Digital Facility digital skills thematic area, which include a series of trainings, conferences and study visits to support the sharing of best practices between the EU and Eastern partner countries on digital skills topics. The priorities for trainings were defined by the Digital Skills Network  during a Webinar held on 29 April 2020.