On the 13th of May 2025, the final event of the Building Back Better Through Social Entrepreneurship project — a powerful regional initiative implemented in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, with support from the European Commission through the #EU4Youth Programme was hosted in Chisinau, Moldova bringing together over 450 participants, including national and international leaders, teachers, students and partners.
At the same occasion, Junior Achievement Moldova celebrated 30 years of entrepreneurship education in the country. The anniversary event hosted by the Republic Palace in Chisinau brought together high-ranking officials, business and civil society representatives to celebrate the impact of JA Moldova: over 300,000 students across the country were trained to think business and act with initiative.
The discussions highlighted the role of entrepreneurship education, school and business collaboration in the region, and mentioned the importance of training young people in the field of social entrepreneurship.
FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!
Keynote speeches from high-ranking officials of the Republic of Moldova and international partners included: the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun, the Governor of the National Bank, Anca Dragu, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, Janis Mazeiks.
Diana Filip, Deputy CEO of JA Europe mentioned :“In just two years we trained 2,293 students and 276 teachers, formed 207 student teams and launched 45 social enterprises each funded through an innovative revolving model first time developed in this region and supported by Schneider Electric. To all our public institutions, embassies, donors, and partners: this is more than a programme – it’s a model for how we move forward. Let’s continue to invest in our young people. Let’s continue to build – not just back, but forward – together.”
The final conference in Moldova was the opportunity to hear the inspiring learning experiences of the youth that has been trained on social entrepreneurship by the Building Back Better Through Social Entrepreneurship project. Their presentations of socially driven enterprises and personal learning journeys prove once again the power of education to create lasting impact.
The project also generated key policy recommendations, including the need to strengthen legal and policy frameworks to support social entrepreneurship, particularly youth- and women-led initiatives. It also calls for building a supportive ecosystem connecting education, entrepreneurship, and investment; establishing a dedicated EU funding line within existing programmes to support early-stage social enterprises; and integrating formal education on social entrepreneurship, sustainable finance, and innovation into secondary schools, vocational institutions, and universities across the region.
#EU4Youth #StrongerTogether
The event concluded with a festive ceremony honouring students, teachers, dedicated partners, and alumni who have grown into successful entrepreneurs. Forty-four teachers received diplomas of gratitude in recognition of their commitment.
About EU4Youth Programme
The EU4Youth Phase III Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme, funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, is being executed by the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) in Eastern Partnership countries. These include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The programme will run until the middle of 2025 and aims to provide technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental organisations to tackle youth unemployment and improve employability.
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network in over 40 countries provided nearly 7 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats, the organisation provided 95,581 teaching experiences and 86,533 volunteering and mentoring experiences. In 2025, JA Worldwide was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the fourth nomination in four years.
About Junior Achievement Moldova
JA Moldova is a public association whose mission is to motivate and prepare the young generation to successfully assert themselves in the market economy. Junior Achievement has been active in Moldova since 1995 and is a member of the JA Worldwide network – the largest and most dynamic organization focused on economic and entrepreneurial education, present in 115 countries.
This press release has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of JA Europe and JA Moldova and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.
For further information, please contact: Anna Demiri at JA Europe (annad@jaeurope.org)