Workshop for VET institutions: "Effective strategies for identifying international partners in Erasmus+ projects"

The National Erasmus+ Office in Moldova, in cooperation with the OeAD Cooperation Office in Chisinau and the Ministry of Education and Research, organized a workshop for vocational education and training institutions in Moldova, with the generic "Effective strategies for identifying international partners in Erasmus+ projects". The event took place over two days, on October 2 and 3, at the "Raisa Pacalo" Center of Excellence in Medicine and Pharmacy and was led by the international experts Dr. Georg Müllner (Austria) and Dr. Heinrich Pingel (Germany). Also, during the workshop, the local experience in the search for international partners was presented by the Erasmus+ expert in the reform of higher education from the Republic of Moldova (HERE), Valentina Prițcan, as well as by the representatives of VET institutions from Moldova who have already participated in Erasmus+ projects starting from 2022 (HABITABLE project — Center of Excellence in Energy and Electronics and the project FTLV Qualite SANTE — "Raisa Pacalo" Center of Excellence in Medicine and Pharmacy).

The workshop began with the presentation of Erasmus+ projects in which higher education institutions from the Republic of Moldova can participate, with a special focus on capacity building projects in the field of vocational education and training (CBVET). Starting from 2022, 9 CBVET projects and one Erasmus+ Center of Excellence project were selected, with the participation of institutions active in the field of vocational education and training from the Republic of Moldova. Afterwards, the international experts spoke about the application procedures for Erasmus+ projects, the need to establish the institution's objectives, the SWOT analysis, the presentation of one's own institution as a project partner in an interesting and convincing way, as well as the importance of establishing a sustainable international collaboration network.

During the discussion sessions and practical workshops, the participants had the opportunity to interact directly with the experts and share their experiences regarding the implementation of international projects. The current trends in vocational education and the ways in which Moldovan institutions can attract international partners were also discussed.

Around 50 representatives of 20 VET institutions from all over the republic participated in the event, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration for the development of vocational education in Moldova.

Photos by OeAD and NEO Moldova