Moldova Ministry of Finance and JA Moldova to Expand Finance Education for Young People
April 2, 2024
Moldova’s Ministry of Finance and JA Moldova signed a collaboration agreement in March to bring financial education to the nation’s youth. The sustainable partnership will promote responsible financial behavior and popularize public finance.
With a population over 2.5 million, Moldova remains among the poorest countries in Europe according to the World Bank. Established in 1995, JA Moldova serves 20,000 young people every year, and has reached more than 300,000 youth over nearly three decades. JA Moldova works with the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Research and the Familia Sturza Foundation to provide JA learning experiences in entrepreneurship to 250 schools across the country. Now, the organization will work with the Ministry of Finance to provide financial education as well.
Moldova’s Minister of Finance Peter Rotaru observed, “The importance of financial education in the field of public finance becomes crucial in building a sustainable society. An informed citizen understands not only the basic concepts in personal money management, but also the mechanisms and implications of financial decisions at the government level. Knowledge in this area allows citizens to evaluate fiscal policies, understand public budgets and actively participate in the democratic process by making informed decisions about spending and taxes, thus contributing to the development of a healthy economy and a more prosperous society.”
Alexandru Stratan, President of JA Moldova, affirmed, "A respective financial education contributes to the development of autonomous and prosperous personalities, and which also offers young people the possibility to act efficiently and responsibly in a society in permanent change. Partnerships with public authorities are fundamental for the achievement of this objective, because they combine expertise with the information that young people accumulate in the classroom, while offering support in the implementation of a variety of initiatives that will support the involvement of young people in financial activities."
JA works with government entities around the world to bring JA learning experiences to classrooms. In the past year, JA locations around the world have worked with and received recognition from national governments in Ukraine, Albania, Northern Ireland, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Qatar, and the United States, among many others:
January 2023: The Ukraine Ministry of Education has granted approval for the JA Company Program and recommends the program as an elective course for secondary education (years 8–11; students age 15–18 years). The approval is valid until July 2027. This is a significant achievement of JA Ukraine's board and team, led by Yuriy Tokarski under very difficult circumstances. It is a light of hope for the young people who will rebuild the country. Read more.
February 2023: The Albanian Ministry of Finance and Economy signed an agreement with JA Albania to implement JA's financial education and entrepreneurship modules in all Albania vocational education schools. Albanian students will have the opportunity to participate in the JA Company Program and the Leader for a Day module, as well as extracurricular activities organized by JA Albania. The signing took place at the Ministry of Finance and Economy office in the presence of Minister Delina Ibrahimi, JA Albania Board of Directors Chair Martin Mata, JA Albania Board member Aleksandër Sarapuli, JA Albania Executive Director Blerina Guga, JA students, and teachers.
April 2023: US President Joe Biden praised Young Enterprise Northern Ireland in a public address on the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. Read more.
June 2023: Prestasi Junior Indonesia and the Directorate of Elementary, Middle, and High Education from the Ministry of Education and Culture reached an agreement to enable access to learning ecosystems (curricular and co-curricular) in state-funded schools across the country. This agreement provides opportunities for the implementation of entrepreneurship, work-readiness, and financial-health learning experiences, in support of the new Merdeka Curriculum.
June 2023: Milena Stoycheva, CEO of JA Bulgaria, was appointed Minister of Innovation and Growth in the new Bulgarian government. Read more.
January 2024: INJAZ Qatar and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education signed a cooperation agreement to integrate life and professional skills programs into the primary and early education curriculum in state schools in Qatar. Read more.
January 2024: Junior Achievement USA recently received more than $1.9 million from the U.S. Department of Labor as part of its Workforce Pathways for Youth demonstration grants. With the support of JA USA, Junior Achievement operations in five states (California, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) are developing age-appropriate workforce readiness resources for youth between 14 and 21, primarily in rural areas. Read more.