Romania faces a severe lack of workforce. At the same time, hundreds of youth aged 16- 24 year old do not attend school, nor do they have a job, some other kind of traineeship and sometimes even perspectives.
The Romanian Centre of European Policies (CRPE) implements a project researching the needs of youth coming from socio-vulnerable groups, especially those of Roma ethnicity, regarding labour market access and the way in which the Youth Guarantee (YG) programme succeeds in helping youth from disadvantaged communities find a job, get back to school or be included in apprenticeships. Moreover, we pay attention to the way in which this money is used for the most disadvantaged youth in Romania.
On October 31, we discussed to over 40 youth aged 16-24 years old who are not included in any form of educational system, employment or training (NEETs) from Ploiesti city and from various villages from Prahova county, but also with the local and national authorities about their views regarding the labour market, challenges and solutions brought about by the YG program implementation in Romania.
Some of the solutions debated include:
- organizing of jobs and outreach events in the rural areas (not only in the cities) and in the proximity of disadvantaged communities;
- stimulating the involvement of employers in apprenticeships and trainings, but also in the dual educational system;
- a more efficient communication of the institutions on websites popular among youth and on social media;
- organizing subsidised and nationally recognised courses in fields which are required on the labour market;
- a more active psycho-pedagogical counselling in high schools.
CRPE will launch a public policy report where will develop solutions to better access the funds available through the Youth Guarantee programme for youths coming from disadvantaged communities.
This event -workshop and debate- was organised by CRPE together with REDI (Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative) during the project “Mind the gap! – Facilitating access to and take up of Youth Guarantee measures by Roma youth in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania” conducted in partnership with another five think-tanks and grassroots ONGs from this region and supported through Europe for Citizens.