More than 500 children from 25 schools in Moldova have tested their professional future on Takeover Day

Between November 14 and 20, the Terre des hommes Moldova Foundation carried out the Takeover Day campaign. Students from 25 schools in Moldova, partners of the Joboteca Project, have tested their future by trying out various jobs, as a means to help them shape their future careers. The event celebrated the right of all children and young people to participate in society and took place in the context of World Children's Day, marked on November 20. The campaign was conducted both at the local and national levels.

"This year, we have held the first edition of the Takeover Day campaign meant to encourage school students to discover their talents and wishes for the most suitable career for them. Within this campaign, young people meet mentors and test the job they like in a practical way, thus being able to figure out if it suits them, if it is really what they would like for their future", Elena Madan, Tdh country director in Moldova, explained the rationale and the particularities of the campaign.

At the national level, Tdh gave the young people the opportunity to meet 15 professionals who achieved outstanding results in their field of work, who welcomed the students with great openness, speaking to them about their job and involving them in specific activities to test the job. The participants were selected based on a motivation letter in which the students explained why they wished to meet a specific mentor. Finally, 33 children met different professionals, such as entrepreneurs, chefs, IT specialists, organisation directors, actors, ambassador, hair-stylist, journalists, ombudsman for children's rights, police officers, doctors, barista and restaurant managers. They could spend from a few hours to almost one day with their mentors from the EU Delegation, the Terre des hommes Moldova Foundation, the Office of the President of the Republic of Moldova, ARTCOR, "Luceafărul" Republican Theatre, Oliva Verde and Tucano Coffee restaurants, the Police Inspectorate of Centre district of the capital and others. 

"That day is unforgettable. I discovered many aspects of the diplomatic job that were unknown to me before that and Mr. Ambassador was the right person to learn so many interesting things from. In the future, I hope to represent Moldova as well as he represents the European Union", said Nicolae Mărjineanu, an 11th grader from the village of Grozești, district of Nisporeni, whose mentor was Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union in the Republic of Moldova.

Andreea Rusu, an 11th grader, wishes to become a doctor and, therefore, she chose Dr. Lucia Gariuc, an ENT doctor at Pedriatica clinic in Chișinău, as her mentor. "Today's experience was unique and I'm glad I had this opportunity. I learned that working in the medical field requires both knowledge and the ability to communicate effectively with patients. Ms. Lucia Gariuc inspired and motivated me a lot and even gave me hope for my professional future. I am grateful for it", the youngster from Grozești (Nisporeni) stated.

Nine students had the opportunity to visit the Presidency of the Republic of Moldova, where they learned about how such an institution is organised, who are the officials and the advisers who work there, and even met the President for a short discussion.

"After visiting the Presidency, I was pleasantly surprised by the small details and the history of this building. The meeting with Ms Maia Sandu, the President of the Republic of Moldova, was a memorable moment, as was the fact that she talked to us about her professional path and about what we need to do to become the best in a certain field", Ștefan Stolear, a 12th grader from Strășeni, shared his impressions.

This experience was novel for the mentors, as well. They perceived it as a great responsibility and took their role very seriously.

"It is a huge responsibility to work for one day together with children. Through your actions, you must convince them how important it is to know their rights and where/to whom to resort if they are infringed. I would repeat this experience every time I was asked to speak about my position of the People's Advocate for children's rights, about its importance for children and for the protection of the children's rights", Maia Bănărescu, People's Advocate for Children's Rights, described the experience of this day.

Maxim Cucu is a cyber security consultant for Wheels Donlen, Chicago, USA. He was the mentor of Constantin and Cristina, 11th and 9th graders. "I talked with the students about the opportunities in the IT field and how today's technologies are shaping our world and future. My mentees were very motivated and interested in learning more about programming, certifications, and what education would be more relevant for their future. Through this programme, young people have access to various mentors and this is a very good opportunity to prepare the Moldovan students for the labour market", the IT specialist thinks. 

At the local level, in the 25 partner schools of the Joboteca Project, the coordinating teachers conducted the Takeover Day together with professionals from their community. The jobs of craftsmen, doctors, farmers, entrepreneurs, and firefighters, along with many other jobs were tried out by students. A total of 500 children met 250 mentors and, together, had a passing over/taking over the baton experience, which was a first for each of them.

Nina Cegorescu, a teacher at Codreanca middle school, district of Strășeni, was a local coordinator of 19 students in her school on the Takeover Day. "For many students, the participation in the Takeover Day was the final step towards making a decision about their professional future. The mentors were very responsive (local government, Străseni IMSP, a dentist’s practice, the police inspectorate, and a beauty salon), and they welcomed us with open arms. The children were delighted with this experience. Among them, just one young man, who dreamed of becoming a dentist, realized that this profession is not suitable for him", the teacher says.

"I gladly embraced the opportunity to participate in the Takeover Day. It gave me the possibility to test the job of an entrepreneur, as well as of a waiter. Now it is clearer to me what these professions mean. I was happy to see the openness of our mentors to share their experience, with positives and negatives", says Constantin Avram, 12th grader of the village of Vorniceni, district of Strășeni.

The students who took part in the campaign were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to get in touch with professionals who are able to answer their questions about the profession they dream of. For many of them, this experience was decisive - some realized that they were ready to dedicate themselves to the job they wish, while others understood that it is not appropriate for them.

"Takeover Day" is an opportunity for adults to show young people that they trust them and the choices they make. At the same time, it is a platform for young people to express themselves and test their choice through access to the job they dream of. 

Through this campaign, Terre des hommes Moldova wants to promote the concept of handing over the baton among the professionals who will give to young people the opportunity to make a conscious professional choice.

The "JOBOTECA - Pilot programme for preparing the young people in Moldova for the labour market" Project (2021 - 2024) is implemented by Terre des hommes Romania and Terre des hommes Moldova, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Moldova and it is funded by the European Union.