Measures to facilitate employment; Moldovan labour minister announces skills certification programmes, vouchers for vocational training, subsidies for employers

The Labour and Social Protection Ministry (MMPS) announces a string of programmes to facilitate employment. They include skills certification programmes, vouchers for vocational training and subsidies for employers. The measures are implemented by the National Employment Agency (ANOFM).

In an interview given with MOLDPRES, Labour and Social Protection Minister Natalia Plugaru stressed that, among the categories of people who face difficulties in finding a job, there are: mothers with small children, people with disabilities, young people – due to lack of work experience – and unskilled persons.

“ANOFM supports citizens who are looking for a job, all services being free of charge. Beneficiaries must go to the local offices, register and choose the most suitable programme. An important government programme provides a monthly amount of 3,000 lei for young people who get hired in their first job. The initiative applies both to young people who studied in Moldova and those who studied abroad,” specified Natalia Plugaru.

There is also a skills certification programme for people who have worked their whole lives in a certain field, but do not hold corresponding formal qualifications.

“Thus, contracts have been concluded with educational institutions where people take an exam and receive a certificate based on the knowledge they have. We cover a spectrum of 84 professions in which we can provide this recognition of knowledge and skills,” noted Natalia Plugaru.

Another programme provides subsidies to employers who employ people with disabilities, people who have held unemployed status for a long period, victims of violence or trafficking and persons who face difficulties in finding employment.

“There are also retraining programmes through vouchers. In this way, ANOFM covers tuition fees and provides a monthly stipend. At the same time, we have programmes for those who want to start a business. In these cases, we provide a grant that covers 80 per cent of expenses. We also see an imbalance between labour demand, which is concentrated in urban areas, and labour supply, which most often comes from people living in rural areas. For rural residents who find a job in the city, a transport allowance is provided to cover travel costs. All these measures are financed from the state budget, the one of the Labour and Social Protection Ministry – the budget for active employment measures,” said Natalia Plugaru.

Thus, citizens who are looking for a job can access the website www.angajat.md, where they can find all necessary information. It is also important for employers to declare available vacancies, in order to facilitate cooperation with ANOFM.

Last year, more than 20,000 people found a job through the National Employment Agency. This figure is by 20 per cent higher compared to 2024.