With EU/ILO support, Moldova’s National Employment Agency receives vehicles and IT equipment to enhance mobility and accessibility of service provision for jobseekers in rural areas

© ILO

Chișinău, Republic of Moldova (ILO News) - The procurement of the vehicles, valued at 1,395,000 MDL, reflects a joint commitment by national and international partners to strengthen the mobility of employment services, especially in rural areas. The transport units will enable NEA territorial employment subdivisions to expand their territorial coverage and enhance the quality of services offered, from career guidance and counselling to job matching and direct employer engagement.  

The procurement also includes 10 sets of IT equipment and office furniture for 10 territorial subdivisions of the National Employment Agency, in Anenii Noi, Cahul, Cantemir, Cimișlia, Criuleni, Edineț, Strășeni, Ștefan Vodă, Taraclia and Ungheni. The equipment will facilitate a more accessible and user-friendly process through designated areas within NEA's local offices, where jobseekers can obtain employment-related information. 

This initiative is part of the "EU Support to Inclusive Labour Markets in the Republic of Moldova" project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The EU/ILO project supports key labour market institutions in their reform efforts and contributes to aligning national employment services with international labour standards and the relevant EU acquis, as the country advances on its path toward EU accession by 2030.  

With the support of the EU/ILO project, the Employment Agency has made significant strides by evaluating the performance of five regional offices. This effort informed the development of EU-aligned performance management guidelines and four e-learning modules, and the capacity building of over 50 staff members. Additional achievements include piloting digital self-service stations in 10 Territorial Employment Offices (TEOs), and outreach efforts in six regions that resulted with the registration of over 2,000 vulnerable individuals. In Cimișlia. the modernization of an employment office took place.   

In parallel, the State Labour Inspectorate (SLI) launched a new official website and trained over 100 labour inspectors and 15 social partners on gender equality, undeclared work, and workplace accident prevention. The SLI supported the adoption of the Strategic Compliance Plan.  A new curriculum and a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme contributed to strengthening internal SLI capacities.  Furthermore, 10 regional labour offices were equipped with body cameras and protective gear. The modernization of a new SLI office, located within the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, has also begun.  

The handover of the vehicles and the IT equipment to the NEA took place with the participation of Ms Roxana Minzatu, Executive Vice President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preperedness of the European Commission, and Mr. Alexei Buzu, Minister of Labour and Social Protection. This has been a first visit of Ms Minzatu to Chisinau  with the aim to launching a high level dialogue on Labour, Skills, Education, Social and Child Policies between the Republic of Moldova and European Union. In a press conference following the handover ceremony, Ms. Minzatu highlighted that strengthening the capacity of public institutions was an important objective of the European Union. Strong public institutions will have the ability to make effective use of European investments in the Republic of Moldova for the benefits of its citizens. The European Union supports technical assistance projects aimed at increasing the capacity of the State Labour Inspectorate and the National Employment Agency, with forthcoming additional financial assistance for the two institutions.