The year of 2011 was for CONSEPT project a passing term from phase I to phase II. In 2011 CONSEPT continued to support training activities for teaching staff of partner schools and to endow their workshops with equipment and consumables, meanwhile the project carried out preparation activities for its second phase.

In this sense a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Foundation Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) and the Ministry of Education, concerning the support in implementing the phase II of the project “Strengthening of Vocational Training in Moldova (CONSEPT)”.

During this year, within CONSEPT, the Centre of Continuing Education of TUM carried out 15 trainings by 10 days each. Training beneficiaries were 183 people: teachers, instructors, management staff of VET schools and university lecturers. The number of teaching staff upgraded with CONSEPT support is growing every year.

Training activities conducted by TUM trainers provided the teaching staff with a full training package made up of 5 modules that promote the Learner Centered Methodologies. Thus, 3 trainings were conducted for the module Teach Skills, 2 trainings for Teach Knowledge, 4 trainings for Assessment, 5 for Teach Visuals, and 1 for Supervision.

Following these trainings, the beneficiaries were coached by TUM master trainers to implement the new teaching methodologies. Coaching is a partnership that speeds up the teacher’s learning rhythm, their performance and progress. In the follow-up activities, it was proved that the Learner Centered Methodologies got perfectly integrated into the teaching-learning-assessment process while reflected in teachers’ endeavor to increase the teaching quality. The entire methodological package is widely and successfully applied by project partner schools.

In CONSEPT agenda for 2011 there were 2 Occupational trainings organized for the cooks and accountants from partner-schools, in partnership with Professional Association Culinary Catering Moldova and Association of Professional Accountants and Auditors (ACAP).

Another important activity that took place at the yearend was the selection of new VET schools to be enrolled in CONSEPT in the second phase. Vocational schools were visited by LED Moldova and selected jointly with Ministry of Education. LED Moldova and new partner schools will make efforts that vocational training for cook, pastry cook, electrician and tailors in Moldova become more professional and more efficient.

CONSEPT team has completed 2011 with the inventory mission for equipments and consumables (twice a year), conducted together with the Ministry of Education representatives. All equipments and consumables procured by schools with the LED financial support will be used for at practical activities with clearly defined learning outcomes. For 2011, the project invested in schools workshops 1.697.972,00 MDLMDL.

In early 2012, traditionally, LED Moldova will organize a planning workshop with all partners and beneficiaries to outline the activities for the current year.