Moldova launches free digital skills courses for seniors
In Moldova, seven out of 10 people over the age of 60 cannot use the internet or a high-performance phone. So now older people can sign up for free digital skills development courses and attend various social activities.
This will give older people access to education, while supporting and motivating them to stay active and involved in social life. The courses will be taught by professors from the State University of Moldova.
Every day, dozens of people come to the USM eager to learn something new and communicate with their peers.
"I want to take this course for further training, I teach physics. I'm doing well as a teacher but I'd like these modern methods to be implemented.";
"I was most captivated by the second course on psychology. I want to learn something new for myself but also maybe I will benefit society";
"Young people know better than us old people, but still without a telephone at all."
There were also those who said that they did not need these courses as for better or worse, they can manage to surf the internet and know some mobile apps.
"What I need, for example, to search all the news, all the social networks, I know how to take pictures, I know how to send messages. I'm happy with what I know and I don't need anything, I'm happy."
"I know what I know, not everything I know. To call, the internet I use, TikTok, all the apps."
Statistics show that the Republic of Moldova is facing a rapid pace of population ageing. In 2016-2022 alone, the population aged 60 and over increased by 5.3 percentage points to 23.8%.
"More and more we see that the number of people is increasing, the need to engage them and empower them as active citizens is very important. Statistics show that only a quarter of the elderly population feels good in terms of well-being," says Tatiana Turchina, head of the Continuing Education Centre at USM.
"Registration started on 8 September and ends on 25 September. We know that colleagues at the State University have already received a large number of applications and we are even thinking about what the selection criteria would be," says Aliona Cretu, head of the Demographic Policies Service at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
The "University for the Third Age" concept is implemented by the State University of Moldova in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education and Research, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
