Moldovan SME Training Industry Overview
Category: Training
Moldova did not have relevant experience in the field of adult SME training. In the same time, adult training is recognized as one of the most important and effective instruments to boost the economic and social development of the country.
As a result of the technical assistance provided to Moldova through the programs mentioned above, the two components of the adult training and development market have developed:
Supply. Consultancy/Training organizations and individuals, who are able to provide training programs in various fields. According to the National Office of Statistics, there are over sixty registered private consulting companies in Moldova, which practice training as well. In addition to that, the many NGOs (over three hundred active ones) are almost all involved in some kind of adult training as their programs require. As a result of different donor funded projects, free-lance consultants / trainers have emerged, who provide services to private companies and to financial sector.
Demand. Donor assisted programs educated the management of companies, public institutions and organizations to the extent as to understand the usefulness and the necessity of employee training and development. Moreover, the managers started to understand the value of these programs, so as to be willing to pay for the services. Foreign investors in Moldova have been and are an important demand factor for training and development services.
One could assume that Moldovan training and development market is under development, therefore its growth is still supply leaded and is very much dependent on the funds provided by the donor organizations.
The following are the main sources of training in Moldova:
• Consulting companies
Many of the local consulting companies have already their training packages elaborated and delivered regularly. Consulting companies charge their clients for training and development services, though in many cases these projects are directly or indirectly sponsored by some international organizations / donors. The latter also subcontract the existing consulting companies for their projects.
• Universities
All universities provide adult training and development services (sometime along with consulting services). Some of the universities (e.g. the Academy of Economic Studies) have special training centers specifically designed to provide adult training.
• Non Government Organizations
There are specialized NGOs for training and development, and there are NGOs which implement different projects with a training component. Usually an NGO is specialized in a specific theme domain / scope or in a specific sector. Most of the sources, which pay for the NGO’s services, are form international donors.
• Donor Funded Projects
There are several major projects in Moldova, which deal with different developmental aspects of country’s economy and society. Every such project and subproject has a training component. Donor funded projects either subcontract the training services or these services are provided directly by Project’s staff.
It is often that the services provided by these projects / subprojects shall be partially paid by the beneficiaries.
There is a general tendency to create — as a result of the project / subproject — a viable, self-sustainable organization (most often a NGO), which is coming on the market of training and development services.
• Professional Associations (e.g. accountants, evaluators)
These become an important source of subject specific training for professionals in the field of the Association’s interest. The experience demonstrates that these organizations gain very quickly the status of an authority in the field. Their principal revenue generating activities are consulting and training.
• Free-lance consultants / trainers
They are the product of all the projects that have been mentioned by now. The development of this category of service providers has been long time inhibited, as the market was only developing and there was no adequate fiscal environment.
After the introduction of the training services under the patent regulations, the free-lance trainers’ community started to grow. It is expected that this trend will continue. Already now, there are many consultant / trainers who render services for different organizations / projects / NGOs.
Major Problems in the present supply of SME training
— Weak pedagogical (trainers’) skills for adult training.
— Shortage in diversifying the use of practical teaching techniques.
— Poor customer needs analysis.
— Deficient adjustment of borrowed advanced material to local needs.
— Too theoretically designed courses and lack of practical data on local specific peculiarities.