Marin Ciobanu: A skilled workforce is a major factor in a country's competitiveness, even more important than tax incentives.
The administrator of the Balti FEZ, who is also the chairman of the Association of Employers of the Processing Industry, said this at a Moldovan-German business forum held on Wednesday. According to him, against the backdrop of the global economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the problem of training qualified personnel has become especially acute, and today multinational companies are reviewing their activities, production chains and looking for partner countries that can offer not only attractive conditions for doing business, but a skilled workforce as well. Marin Ciobanu spoke about how the personnel issue is being resolved in the Balti FEZ, where mainly German investors work. For 12 years, they have invested about 160 million euros in the country and created more than 8,000 jobs. Three years ago, at the request of residents, training of specialists in the dual system began. In addition, the College of Engineering was recently created, in which training is built on a dual principle. “Thanks to this, there is a synchronization between the demand of the labor market and the supply of the education system. The College of Engineering is one of the most equipped educational institutions in the country and is an example on the basis of which the Ministry of Education and Research, together with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), is trying to transfer the dual education system to all vocational schools and colleges, ”said the chairman of the Association of Employers of the Processing Industry. He also said that the Association is implementing a number of other projects. For example, an automobile cluster was founded, where a program is being implemented to attract and develop local suppliers for multinational companies operating in Moldova. The organization also participated in the preparation of the country's Industrialization Strategy for the next 12 years, to which a lot of German experience was brought. Herewith, Marin Ciobanu said that he intends to appeal to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, with a request to include Moldova in the partners of the program, which has been organized since 2011 by the Center for International Migration (CIM) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs of Cooperation and Development of Germany. The program supports migrant organizations by providing advice, targeted training and networking opportunities, financial grants and the referral of qualified personnel for development-oriented projects in partner countries. “One of the goals of the program is to support experts and managers in using their know-how and contacts from Germany to initiate change in their countries of origin. Returning professionals are building bridges between Germany and their countries of origin, through which knowledge and know-how flows; thus, they make a significant contribution to social and economic development, ”the head of the Association of Employers of the Processing Industry stressed. The letter is scheduled to be delivered on Thursday, during the visit of the German President to the Industrial College. // 29.09.2021 — InfoMarket
