On June 10, 2025, a workshop was organized within the framework of the UPGRADE project – Enhancing Graduates’ Employability Tracking in Moldova (Project No. 101129166).
The event was held in a hybrid format at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM), bringing together representatives from higher education institutions, governmental organizations, and project teams in an active dialogue focused on strengthening quality assurance mechanisms and governance in graduate employability monitoring.
The official opening was delivered by Dr. Olesea Sîrbu, Vice-Rector for International Relations and European Projects at ASEM and UPGRADE Project Grant Coordinator, who emphasized the strategic importance of the topic and presented the main objectives and expected outcomes of the workshop. Representatives from the E-Governance Agency (AGE), the National Employment Agency (ANOFM), and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova accepted invitation and attended the event.
Dr. Oxana Barbăneagră, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Marketing, Partnerships and Career Services at ASEM, presented the concepts and pilot results of the national graduate employability monitoring survey. Following this, Dr. Tatiana Bucos, Associate Professor and Director of the SMART Lab Center at ASEM, introduced the concept for the national digital platform to track graduate career pathways. Alfredo Rosado, expert from the University of Valencia (Spain), contributed an international perspective by showcasing Spain’s national digital platform for employability monitoring.
In the second part of the event, a Think Tank session was moderated by Ms. Doina Usaci, Head of the Higher Education Policy Department at the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova and UPGRADE project active partner. The session facilitated a productive discussion on institutional collaboration opportunities related to the development of the national platform for graduatesț employability tracking and the interconnection of relevant data systems in order to ease data-collection process for HEIs and implement mechanism to ensure data protection and ease of use for highest results.
In conclusion, participants agreed that an integrated graduate tracking system is both feasible and necessary. They expressed a strong commitment to join forces and pursue a shared objective of the project. As a first step proposed to be implemented is establishment of the working group on national level coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Research to be nvolved in development of the national platform for tracking graduates' employability.
For more details, please consult the PROGRAM of the event.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.