High-performance IT technology reached its destination to the 12 colleges, centres of excellence and vocational schools (VET), part of the project "Develop life skills and healthy behaviors of students in Vocational Education and Training for their development and job readiness" implemented by United Nations Populations Fund with the support of Austrian Development Agency, in partnership with Ministry of Education, Culture and Research.

The schools received 65 tablets, 13 laptops, 13 HD TVs, 13 color printers, 13 VR (Virtual Reality) glasses and 13 game consoles. The equipment will support teachers of “Decisions for a healthy lifestyle” in making the lessons more attractive to young people and improve their learning outcomes, including during COVID-19 pandemic.

“This equipment is very much welcomed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, enabling us to provide continuous access to education during the pandemic, and positively impact many generations of students. We are grateful to our partners for their continuous support to VET institutions in Moldova”, said Lilia Pogolșa, Ministry of Education, Culture and Research.

“Austrian Development Agency is very proud to have contributed to the endowment of the VET institutions and will continue through every step in transforming the way the students are learning and acquiring new skills. The modern technology will continue to play an essential role in transforming the work environment and students’ early exposure to it will also have a positive impact on their job readiness” stated Gunther Zimmer, Head of the Austrian Development Cooperation's Coordination Office in Chisinau.

The equipment will complement the youth friendly classrooms inaugurated at the beginning of the year and will be used to make the lessons of life-skills health based education more interactive. A novelty of the VET schools is the VR glasses, which will be used in premiere to organize exciting learning activities for students as for example, experimental exercises for violence prevention and encouragement of healthy choices.

Additionally, teachers of “Decision for a Healthy Lifestyle”, the main course providing life skills health education, received a set of edutainment materials created and adapted for each lesson of the course, and a new educational game for teenagers and young people about violence prevention and reproductive health, that will be useful in their work with the students.

Altogether, this will make the lessons more dynamic and interesting with film screenings, role-playing games, virtual reality experiences.

“Recent data clearly demonstrates  the positive impact of life skills health education on the personal development of young people. That is why, jointly with Austrian Development Agency, UNFPA is investing in the quality of health education, by improving the content, capacity of teachers and equipping VET schools with upgraded education materials and tools” stated Dr. Nigina Abaszada, Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Moldova.

According to „Study on the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the health and life skills of students in vocational education and training institutions (VET) in the Republic of Moldova” conducted among 923 students aged 15-19 from 20 centres of excellence, colleges and vocational schools, young people display limited knowledge and are vulnerable to risky behaviors related to nutrition, substance use (tobacco, alcohol, drugs), sexual-reproductive health, violence, and lack skills for smoothly integration into the labour market. At the same time, students exposed to health education course proved better knowledge and behaviors in all areas.

The project "Develop life skills and healthy behaviors of students in Vocational Education and Training for their development and job readiness" aims to promote healthy behaviors and life skills among young people in VET, which will help them integrate better on the job market.