TAM Report / Moldova- Graduates' employability tracking

GENERAL INFORMATION

TAM title: Improving graduates' employability tracking in Moldova

Type of Event: Webinar

Modality: Online

Country: Moldova

Dates: 20 December 2024

Participants: The online seminar gathered around 100 participants, including representatives of Moldovan higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, rectors, vice-rectors, deans, heads of career development centres, university staff working with labour-market stakeholders, and faculty and staff of the International Relations Department of Comrat State University.

THEMES COVERED

• European legislative frameworks and good practices in employability tracking
• University management reforms to strengthen career development roles
• Designing and implementing high-quality employability surveys
• Strengthening partnerships with firms and labour-market actors
• Enhancing career guidance services and support structures
• Building institutional ecosystems centred on graduate success
• Aligning educational provision with workforce needs

KEY OUTCOMES

During the workshop, participants:

• Improved their understanding of how to design, deliver, and analyse employability tracking surveys
• Reflected on institutional reforms needed to better integrate career development into university structures
• Strengthened knowledge on building partnerships with firms and aligning academic programmes with labour-market expectations
• Recognised the importance of developing career centres and institutional ecosystems for sustained graduate support
• Identified needs for comparative analysis with European universities to guide future improvements

OVERVIEW

The expert delivered three thematic sessions examining European legislative frameworks, successful institutional practices, and mechanisms for strengthening university–industry collaboration. Participants discussed how employability tracking systems can support educational reform, ensure better alignment between programmes and labour-market needs, and reinforce the role of universities in graduate career development.

The seminar emphasised the need for stronger institutional ecosystems—especially well-resourced career centres—to provide effective monitoring, guidance, and support for graduates. Insights from European examples helped participants identify concrete steps for modernising internal processes and improving the relevance and impact of Moldovan higher education. The activity also contributed to Comrat State University’s ongoing efforts to adopt European practices and enhance its approach to graduate employability.

ENHANCING IMPACT: PROPOSED NEXT STEPS

• Create a national platform dedicated to graduate employment tracking and data sharing.

• Strengthen career centres to ensure continuous graduate monitoring and high-quality career guidance.

• Enhance university–industry partnerships to improve professional integration and programme relevance.

• Disseminate TAM insights internally, ensuring students understand the importance of employability and career alignment.

• Promote guidance and counselling mechanisms to help students access careers aligned with their fields of study.

• Encourage comparison with European practices to identify best models and adapt effective mechanisms in Moldova.

RESOURCES AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL

• Council of the European Union. (2017, 20 November). Council Recommendation on tracking graduates (2017/C 423/01). Official Journal of the European Union. Accessible at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32017H1209(01)
• European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture; Mühleck, K.; Jühlke, R.; Köppen, L. (2025). Data and methods of the 2nd phase of the European pilot survey of higher education graduates and recommendations on the way forward – Technical report on EUROGRADUATE 2022. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/6415344
• OECD. (2019). Benchmarking Higher Education System Performance. Higher Education, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/be5514d7-en