The UNESCO-UNEVOC framework in the training of vocational pedagogical skills in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

What should have been be the classical pathway for a teacher or trainer engaged in the training of future skilled workers? How do we establish performance criteria to assess the level of competence for this occupation? In this paper, which is part of a complex process of vocational education and training reform in the Republic of Moldova, focused on the topic of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), we will seek to reflect on these questions and come up with an analysis of the classical pathway of TVET teacher education in the country, which will later serve as a starting point in developing the first national Master Degree Study Programe aligned to the UNESCO-UNEVOC Framework. Two decades after the renowned Hangzhou Declaration, China 2004, the issue of developing the teaching skills of engineers involved in the training of future professionals remains relevant at both national and regional level. Designing a Master’s Programe, dedicated to the TVET teacher education, remains an imperative action at the national level, which, according to the authors, is a logical step towards the sustainability of the EU-supported TVET Development and Reform Project, implemented in Moldova during 2014-2021. Along with the design aspects of the TVET Master's Programe, the paper analyses the key factors to be taken into account at the conceptualization stage.