EAfA Member Spotlight: CEITI’s vocational training programmes help learners develop ICT skills

CEITI is the Moldova's first informatics lyceum and the first organisation from Moldova to join the Alliance. We spoke about CEITI's ICT apprenticeship programmes that offer students both hands-on skills and theoretical learning. As a centre of vocational excellence, CEITI works to provide high quality vocational skills to young people and adults.

1. Please can you provide a short overview of your EAfA pledge and which EAfA objectives it relates to?

As a national Centre of Excellence, our institution, CEITI, plays a strategic role in Moldova to support young people's professional integration and strengthen their skills in a rapidly evolving digital economy.

By joining EAfA, CEITI committed to improving the quality and image of apprenticeships in ICT, with a strong focus on employability, work-based learning and smooth transitions from education to professional life.

We aim to equip learners with strong technical knowledge, practical skills, confidence, adaptability, and employability to help them move successfully from education into work. Our pledge therefore focuses on close and structured cooperation with employers, developing apprentices' digital and transversal skills, ensuring equal access to apprenticeships, and creating strong and sustainable links between education and the labour market.

Through our pledge, CEITI directly contributes to EAfA's objectives related to quality, cooperation, relevance and equal opportunities in vocational education and training (VET) at upper secondary level (ISCED level 3) and post-secondary non-tertiary level (ISCED level 4).

2. How did you first hear about EAfA and why did you decide to submit a pledge?

Encouraged by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova, we learned about the Alliance through our active involvement in European VET networks, as well as through ongoing cooperation with national and international partners engaged in skills development, including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova.

Submitting a pledge was a natural next step, as the Alliance's objectives are fully aligned with CEITI's institutional mission: strengthening partnerships with employers, promoting work-based learning, and supporting inclusive, relevant and future-oriented VET that responds to labour market needs and digital transformation.

As one of the first EAfA Members from Moldova, we are proud of our work to enhance training programmes, support student mobility, foster innovation, and connect graduates to further education and global opportunities through our strong national and international partnerships.

3. How has CEITI contributed to EAfA activities?

Since joining in 2025, CEITI has actively contributed to EAfA by sharing examples and good practices related to VET, apprenticeships and work-based learning, particularly in the ICT field.

CEITI also maintains partnerships with ICT firms that support students throughout their studies, extending beyond just apprenticeship periods. Together with employers, CEITI hosts joint learning activities and co-taught lessons led by industry professionals and teaching staff.

These activities include guest lectures delivered by ICT specialists, practical workshops, hands-on training sessions, and case studies based on real industry projects, as well as mentoring and guidance provided by company representatives. This method helps learners understand new technologies and standards in ICT, while highlighting VET's value.

These materials are available on our official Facebook page, where we regularly publish information and visual materials related to classroom activities and joint initiatives with partner companies.

4. How have you promoted EAfA membership to your partners?

We promote EAfA membership through continuous and structured dialogue with learners, teaching staff and partners, highlighting the value of European cooperation for improving the quality, relevance and attractiveness of VET.

This dialogue is fostered through regular meetings with employer partners, joint planning of apprenticeships and work-based learning activities, information and guidance sessions for learners, and discussions with teaching staff focused on aligning training provision with labour market needs and EAfA principles.

5. Since submitting a pledge, what activities has CEITI undertaken to achieve the EAfA objectives?

Since submitting our pledge, CEITI has continued to strengthen cooperation with ICT companies, implemented dual VET, adapted training programmes to labour market and digital economy needs, and provided learners with guidance and mentoring throughout their apprenticeship pathways. CEITI is now also a member of the EAfA's Community on the Green and Digital Transitions, further reinforcing its commitment to innovation, sustainability and the alignment of vocational education with emerging EU priorities.

Within this framework, CEITI cooperates with employer partners such as Allied Testing Moldova, EBS Integrator, Q-Groupand StarNet Solutions, as well as other companies from the ICT sector.

This cooperation enables the direct integration of industry expertise into teaching and learning, ensures alignment between curricula and real professional requirements, and provides learners with a clear understanding of ICT occupations and career pathways.

Our dual VET approach is based on a structured partnership between institutions and employers, where the learning process is shared between school-based theoretical instruction and practical training carried out directly within companies.

Learners improve their skills in real working environments under the guidance of workplace instructors from partner companies and CEITI teaching staff. The training of workplace instructors from the economic sector, including pedagogical and psycho-pedagogical modules, is provided and certified by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research, and in partnership with CEITI.

This integrated approach enhances the quality of practical training, supports a smooth transition from education to employment, and further strengthens the link between education and training and the labour market.

6. How does your pledge support broader EU or national goals related to gender equality in education and employment?

CEITI's pledge promotes equal access to ICT education and apprenticeships, encouraging girls and young women to pursue digital careers, and actively addressing stereotypes in the ICT sector.

At European level, this approach is aligned with the European Pillar of Social Rights, the EU Gender Equality Strategy, and the EU's objectives to increase women's participation in STEM and digital fields, as part of the transition towards a more inclusive digital economy.

At national level, CEITI's actions support the education, lifelong learning and employment policies of the Republic of Moldova, which promote equal opportunities, non-discrimination and the inclusion of women and girls in technical and digital fields, thereby contributing to the development of a more balanced and inclusive digital economy.

7. What measures has CEITI taken to ensure equal access to apprenticeships for women and girls?

CEITI ensures equal access to apprenticeships for women and girls by providing information and career guidance to all learners, regardless of gender, and by promoting ICT's apprenticeship pathways as open and accessible to everyone. Currently, girls represent approximately 38% of all enrolled learners at CEITI.

We achieved this by running career guidance and counselling workshops, information sessions on apprenticeship opportunities, and close cooperation with employer partners to ensure fair, transparent and non-discriminatory selection processes based on skills development.

In addition, CEITI fosters a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment by promoting mutual respect, equal opportunities and non-discrimination throughout the educational and apprenticeship process, encouraging the participation and retention of women and girls in ICT-related education and training.

8. Do you have any standout stories to share about apprentices who have successfully completed an apprenticeship?

Each year, the vast majority of CEITI graduates complete apprenticeships and work-based learning in ICT companies, where they gain hands-on experience in software development and other professional activities. As we grow our involvement with EAfA, we hope to showcase individual success stories within the EAfA community soon.

Many of our learners often complete their apprenticeships at partner ICT companies, gaining hands-on experience by working on actual projects within professional teams and using the skills they have developed during their studies. For numerous graduates, these apprenticeships are their initial introduction to the workplace.

Following the completion of their placements, a considerable number of graduates are offered employment by the same companies and later progress to more advanced professional roles. These recurring career pathways clearly demonstrate the concrete, long-term and sustainable impact of apprenticeships on learners' professional integration and career development.

Are you inspired by CEITI's pledge? Visit the EAfA Membership and Pledges webpage to explore EAfA member pledges and become an Alliance member by submitting a pledge for your organisation.