ILO launched its first Local Employment Partnership project in Moldova to create more and better jobs in Cahul Rayon

The initiative was launched today in Cahul in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, the National Confederation of Employers, the National Confederation of Trade Unions and the Cahul Rayon Council, and with the participation of local partners.

Local Employment Partnership is an innovative model created by the European Union and successfully used by the ILO in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is based on ‘negotiated’ planning, meaning multiple local stakeholders concerned with labor market challenges in their community create partnerships to come up with solutions adapted to local circumstances.

The LEP in the Cahul Rayon is designed and implemented under the aegis of the tripartite Territorial Commission for Consultation and Collective Bargaining (TCCCB), a social dialogue platform that brings together representatives of the local public authority, and local trade unions and employers’ associations. This platform acts as a catalyst; convene relevant labor market stakeholders, identify the territory’s key employment challenges and suggest concrete actions that would directly address the barriers to job creation and transition from informal to formal employment.

Implementation of LEP Cahul envisages the involvement of about 20 public and private partners at the national and local levels, including civil society organizations, financial institutions, educational and training institutions, the employment service, producers’ associations, enterprises and investors. The total cost of the LEP is 403,771 USD, with a contribution of 183,912 USD from the ILO and 15,400 USD from local actors. The Organization for the Development of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Sector (ODIMM) will contribute with 204,459 USD through national grant schemes. This amount will support business development and enterprise creation by young people from vulnerable environments.

The President of the Commission, Mr. Vlad Casuneanu, explained that the reduced opportunities for economic development and employment, migration and poverty led to problems on the labor market in the Cahul Rayon. “The tripartite Territorial Commission for Consultation and Collective Bargaining facilitated the preparation of LEP Cahul by mobilizing the support of relevant partners to achieve shared employment objectives for the rayon. Through this partnership, we will create better conditions for the social-economic development of the rayon, with an important impact on employment and formalization of the labor force”, mentioned Mr. Vlad Cașuneanu.

“Local Employment Partnership is aimed at creating and formalizing approximately 264 jobs and launching about 106 start-ups in sectors with job-creation potential in beekeeping, creative industries and crafts. Around 670 persons from Cahul Rayon, including individuals at risk of social exclusion, will benefit directly from the opportunities afforded by the project and around 1,000 people in the community will benefit indirectly”, noted Mrs Violeta Vrabie, ILO project coordinator.

Local producers, beekeepers and craftsmen, as beneficiaries of the partnership, who participated in the fair organized at the project launch conference, welcomed the initiative. Dumitru Zaporojan, a popular craftsman, said: "With this partnership, we will be able to diversify our range of products according to customer needs and find new outlets."

The LEP interventions are in line with the objectives of the Socio-Economic Development Programme of Cahul District for 2017–2020 and the South Regional Development Strategy for 2016–2020. The LEP actions contribute to the Youth Sector Development Strategy (2017–2020), the National Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy (2014–2020), the National Beekeeping Development Programme (2018–2025) and the tourism development strategy ‘Tourism 2020’.