Director of Centre of Excellence in Vine Growing and Wine Making says institution's graduates give strong impetuses to growth, development of concerned sector

The acting director of the Centre of Excellence in Vine Growing and Wine Making, Svetlana Cociorva, has given an interview exclusively with the MOLDPRES State News Agency. In the interview, she referred to the educational offer for the next academic year, opportunities of education, employment and the perspective of the vine-growing and wine-making branch.    

MOLDPRES: The Centre of Excellence in Vine Growing and Wine Making from Chisinau has a rich history, being founded in 1842. During years, the institution has trained over 25,000 specialists. How the institution’s work has developed on this period, in the context of the changes in the vine-growing and wine-making sector?        

Svetlana Cociorvă: We are an education institution specialized in vine-growing and wine-making, which is the second one in Europe with such a rich history. During the years, the institutions has had many ups and downs; yet, the task of the institution remained the same – to train qualified specialists for the real sector, although there were some difficulties when the institution was divided by the enterprise, National College of Vine Growing and Wine Making from Chisinau, as we were component part of the latter. In 2016, when we were reorganized, we became Centre of Excellence in Vine Growing and Wine Making from Chisinau and we needed to get out of anonymity and to be promoted as separate institution. It was pretty difficult for us and, to be able to evolve, we tried to attract investment projects, in order to develop the institutional capacity and the technical and material basis. Thus, a vine-growing laboratory was endowed, a hall for training courses was created, a tourism hall, a computer room. At the same time, a laboratory of sommelier was set up, where specialists are trained in the field of tasting wines, serving meals for tourists. All these actions bring a prestige to the institution, as when the technical and material basis is well-developed, the institution can educate qualified staff. Also, we participated in fairs; we organized various seminars and workshops, which are to present information on the work of the Centre of Excellence. We managed to develop through the extension of the demonstrative plot of land by the planting of vine and planting orchard, which represent a strong point in training pupils in the probation. We still have much work to do; we have a young, well-consolidated staff and we manage to achieve the goals set together.               

MOLDPRES: Which is the educational offer for the next academic year?

Svetlana Cociorvă: Presently, there are four faculties at the initial form and three faculties and at the form of dual education. At the same time, we carry out continuous training courses, trainings and workshops. Most often, when probations are held, young people are proposed jobs. On the period of the probation, they are employed, which represents a benefit for them, as they are motivated with a salary. After the probation is over, about 50 per cent of the young people are employed at the place of its carrying out. Economic agents have words of praise for the pupils, say that they are well-educated from the theoretical viewpoint and the practical basis is strengthened at enterprises already. At the same time, the young people who study at the tourism faculty make their probation at tourist agencies.       

This year, pupils will be registered at the institution based on gymnasium education, with the taking of school-leaving examinations at will. The duration of the education is four years. Young people can submit their acts at the specialties: Tourism; Organization of services in hotels and tourist complexes; Technology of products got through fermentation; Vine growing and oenology. At the same time, pupils will be registered based on the Baccalaureate/11 forms diploma or related professions at the specialties: Tourism and technology of vegetal products. The duration of education is two years. We also announced the registration pupils at gymnasium education at the profession, Vine grower-Wine maker, with duration of two years.       

Besides, we carry out continuous training courses for the specialties: accountancy and Programme 1 C. Also, a course of farmer specialized in fruit growing, arboriculture and vine-growing has been recently launched; those who need to launch a peasant farm or to develop abilities and competences according to the present requirements can benefit from this course.   

On this period, along with the colleagues, we promote the education offer in education institutions, in order to inform young people about all specific aspects. Also, we organized the open doors day at the Centre of Excellence in Vine Growing and Wine Making.   

MOLDPRES: Which are the criteria you take into account in the process of carrying out the education offer, so that it meets the labour market?

Svetlana Cociorvă: As usual, we ask the Education and Research Ministry for the state order for the next academic year. Also, it is necessary that we make an analysis of the real sector, in order to see the requests of the labour market for the state order at the dual education. These actions are carried out annually. At the same time, economic agents submit requests to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), thereby informing about how much staff they need. Subsequently, CCI submits the information to education institutions. We also have contracts on cooperation with economic agents, which inform us about the number of specialists who are to be employed.         

MOLDPRES: What opportunities the institution provides to young people who choose to study at the Centre of Excellence in Vine Growing and Wine Making?  

Svetlana Cociorvă: First of all, we provide young people a pleasant atmosphere, young and professional teachers. During the last seven years, we started developing the technical and material basis and the endowment of laboratories. All pupils are provided with hostel rooms, scholarship worth up to 800 lei, diverse extra-curricular actions; workshops are organized, there is an active council of pupils; young people enjoy teaching materials. At the same time, a tourist boarding house was created on the area of the institution for pupils of the specialty, Tourism and organization of hotel services, so that pupils know how a boarding house works. Also, there is a modern sports hall, where young people can train.     

MOLDPRES: What opportunities of employment young people have after the finishing of the education?  

Svetlana Cociorvă: During probations, they are employed as workers already. Also, economic agents make an orientation in career. At the end of the education, young people participate in seminars organized by enterprises, so as to be subsequently employed. At the same time, they are employed at boarding houses and tourist agencies, as tourist guides or receptionists.    

MOLDPRES: Which is the perspective of the vine growing and wine-making branch in our country and what international practices can we take over from the EU countries?  

Svetlana Cociorvă: The vine-growing and wine-making sector is developing quickly. The Moldovan wine-makers got golden and silver medals at international competitions; graduates of our institution are among them. They bring strong impetuses to the growth and development of the vine growing and wine making sector. Presently, we can make exchange of experience with education institutions from Europe. We went to Romania and Germany and we hope to go to Austria as well. We have pupils who work in Germany and Greece according to their profession in summer. The partners from abroad are well-meaning and open to share their knowledge. We always accumulate valuable information which we use in our work.       

MOLDPRES: We thank you for the kindness to give this interview with our agency.