1. Challegne: Make it work
Team Name: YOUth want to (make it) work
Project Name: The future is built now!
Country: Romania
Organization: Voluntari pentru Idei si Proiecte (VIP Romania)
Mentor: Florin Tutza

2.  Following the latest statistics of registered unemployment from January 31, 2013 in
Romania the unemployment rate is 5,82% ( about 513.000 persons). Since de beginning
of 2008, when the unemployment rate at national level was about 4,1%, number of
unemployed increased reaching a new record from the last 5 years.
 The statistics from 2009 of the European Commission shows that in European Union
(EU) are about 47 milions of young people between the age of 18 and 24. Among them,
29% are working (at least 1hour per week), about 17% are in college and work, 16%
aren’t in college and are unemployed and more than half of them are unemployed of
inactive economic.
 The same statistics shows that in Romania about 45% students don’t work, about 3% are
working and in the college at the same time and 28,5% don’t work. This statics confirm
that the most affected by unemployment rate are the young people between 18 and 24
years old. In EU the unemployment rate for the people age between 30 and 45 is 6%, but
for the young people (18-24 years old) the rate is more than 15%. These statistics are
from 2009, but we shouldn’t forget that the economic crisis has worsened the situation
and the rates for youth unemployment are bigger.
 A few years ago, in Romania, everybody was talking about how hard it is for youth to get
a job, especially a well paid one. Every employer was seeking for people with
experience. It was like a circle, with no way out: the companies weren’t hiring recent
graduates, so the latter didn’t have opportunities to gain the required work experience.
 There was a law adopted in 2002 which had the purpose to advocate the youth. In fact,
Law no. 116/2002 - Article 5 stipulated: “The National Agency of Employment is obliged
to make a personalized social assistance for young people aged between 16 and 25 years
who are in need and facing the risk of professional exclusion, in order to facilitate their
access to a job.”


3.  But the employers have begun to use fiercely the benefits provided by the state
under this regulation after 2010. Among these facilities, there are subventions for
each young employee and the exemption from paying the contribution for
unemployment (dole) insurance for each person employed, for a period of 12
months.
 From our experience in our class and friends we notice that young people who
have graduated and didn’t do anything extra (like volunteer, projects, etc) found
very difficult a job (after a long period in which they were unemployed). Their
jobs belong to a different fields from those that were prepared. Advantaged
youth and a much better chance to find a job in their field are those we were
involved in extracurricular activities and did internships.
 Unemployment is a huge problem. If we look at long term, it has negative social
effects like young people get frustrated (they have higher education studies but
fail to engage), more young people will have lower self-confidence, will
increase the rate of criminals and the of suicide, the birth rate will drop and
many others. As Victor Hugo said “He who opens a school door, closes a
prison”. Such effects, on long term, will generate confusion and the role of
education in a human life will would suffer, the country’s economy and the
standard of living will decrease.
 To avoid this scenario, we must fight against youth unemployment and we must
create a higher quality education.

4.  To exceed the economic crisis, will need to spend more money. In the future, this
money will increase the economy. To spend this money, first we need to have money.
How we can have this money? By creating jobs.
 We consider that the European Union helps very much the member states through
European Funds. If members submit qualitative and eligible projects, they can absorb
a large amount of money which can be reinvested in other programs to facilitate
economic growth (exceed economic crisis) and bring benefits to state.
 Money can be invested in education to create educated young. Educated young will
expend the active participation of civil society, meaning the engine of democracy.
The active participation decrease the democratic deficit, increase the citizens’ trust in
government institutions, increase the standard of living and increase the level of
education. A country with a growing economy attract immigrants who want a job and
investors who will help the economy. Regarding the phenomenon of brain drain, the
medical system is the most affected in our country. Young people are easily
employed, but they confront a series of other issues.
 Physicians are attracted by offers from abroad and seems only natural to take them.
Here, the wages are very low and don’t reflect their contribution nor their capacities.
The residents have a monthly salary of 700 lei (160 €). Only in 2012, 1.605 doctors
left Romania for a job abroad. In Great Britain, there are 4.100 Romanian physicians
with official contracts but they are in the majority of European countries. [1]

5.  There is a serious problem with bribes, sometimes sick people – who have health
insurance, being rejected to be consulted if they don’t give money to the doctor.
Even those who resort to such unethical practices and have enough money, choose
to leave because of the lack of advanced equipment in romanian hospitals. In fact,
the only ones who remained are the nationalists; those who, for personal reasons,
don’t want to leave the country; and youngsters who have just graduated from
university.
 We think that a cause of youth unemployment in Romania, especially in Bucharest,
is that the majority of young people don’t want to exit (overcome e mai bine?)
their comfort zone. As a consequence, it is almost impossible for them to get a
good job and they settle for a bad paid one or worse, they rather stay at home and
get the dole from the government. You can not expect a company to invest
significant resources in you, to offer you the trainings you need for filling a
particular position, unless you are showing real potential.
 Another one is the educational system, enhanced by the old approach of learning
based on theory and nothing practical, is not making the situation easier. The only
solution for youngsters who graduate college is to know someone with high rank a
multitude of extracurricular activities, like being part of a students organization or
to have enough voluntary activities. Besides these, it is almost compulsory to have
at least one internship in the résumé.
 This is why, when we start university, we choose to become members of a
community, an organization wherein we can develop ourselves and acquire enough
experience so we can be worthy of the job we will seek when we graduate.

6.  To reach a fezable solution, we had to identify the causes and effects of youth
unemployment:

 Causes:
 Government doesn’t provide sufficient funds for education;
 The curricula doesn’t emphasize the quality of information, but the quantity
 The curricula doesn’t mach the require of employers;
 The curricula focuses on theory and very little on practice;
 Undergraduate degrees can be obtain very easily. Annually graduates over 200.000 of
students plus the unemployment alumni from previous years;
 Many times the specializations of graduates doesn’t fold the need of employees;
 In last years appeared new areas like social media or European Funds, but the
curricula didn’t adapted to that. To engage in one of these area, a young people must
pay a specializated courses;
 There are many students specialized in areas who have limited job offers (for
example annually graduate over 20.000 jurists students, over 5.000 math students and
the list goes on). What will do these young people? The labor market cannot aborb
them all and they have 2 options: remain unemployed or they will seek jobs in other
ares (but they haven’t training in that field). There are many companies that don’t
offer trainings and the graduates are forced to bear the costs of that courses to fill the
job;
 Few companies offer internships

7. EFFECTS:
 Besides negative social effects describe above, there are significant
economic effects: economy decrease, the state doesn’t present the same
confidence, the national currency depreciates, investors can leave the
country and so on;
 Poorly trained young;
 The tendency to migrate to countries that can provide workplaces and a
decent standard of living. Even the students who have gone abroad for
studying, decide not to return to the country.
OUR SOLUTION:
 The universities to provide more scholarships, especially in universities
from the country;
 To organize various competitions in the faculties to stimulate involvement
and seriousness of students. The prizes may consist various scholarships,
internships in various companies
 To organize summer schools within universities;
 In the first stage at least a half of companies to provide internships and
and free training sessions;
 Not the same number of seats in universities. They have to fold depending
on labour market demand.

8.  To create as much as possible free courses and trainings (Romania starts to do that
using European funds, but now there aren’t many courses)
 Universities to offer various free training courses;
 Romania can take the example of Nordic countries of Europe. They have an
increase standard of living, higher level of education and a growing economy. In
countries like Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland the young people
between 18-24 have the lower rate of unemployment across Europe. Education
system consists of theoretical courses and specialized courses (work based courses).
About 70-80% are working and studying in the same time. In Romania the situation
is different under 30% are working and studying in the same time.
 Universities to organize professional counseling sessions;
 About 70% students are administrative fees in universities, even in public
universities. Solutions: All public universities must have entrance exam and all
youth admitted to have college free. Taxes to exist only in private universities.
The educational system should be changed dramatically. From the first class, we are
being told by teachers to learn a lot of details, from a lot of areas, subjects, without
understanding the purpose. Without knowing why we have to do something and
how we’ll be able to apply what we learn, the result is always the same: we forget
thousands of pages the minute we don’t need to remember them.
The education curricula, especially in 1st- 8th grades, should contain less subjects or
at least more useful information about them. And teachers should apply in class as
much as they can. For example, in chemistry class, the disciples should see
chemical reactions, not only write them on paper.

9.  The minister of education should change the curricula to include a class for career counseling. Since the first year of high
school, the students would take this course per week, in every semester of all four academic years. This course should not
be held by a teacher because all have the same style. Teenagers need an example of a person with a complex career. It is
important for that person to have done volunteer work, have had significant activity in various activities - including
international projects (like Youth in Action programs) and have worked in a company. In this way, that trainer (because it
would be more like a trainer than a teacher) would have soft skills and hard skills, being able to show the students how to
get them, also. This type of person can teach them about the many options they have even in high school and can expand
their horizons, counseling them to engage in society issues and in extracurricular activities, things that make the road to a
great career, that they will choose wisely. This road will not be easy, but it will be safe.
 Another proposal is for the state to fund trainings for graduates, depending on their field of interest, which will help them
find work quickly. Moreover, for those who have lost their jobs due to the economical crisis or because of the fact that
too many people have the same profession, the state could offer specializations for another field, giving them a chance to
start over with something the employers need.
 Considering that in Romania, as we said, a great number of high school graduates don’t go to college because it is easier
for them to take the redundancy pay, perhaps would be better to give it 1 year after graduating. Consequently, they will be
forced to choose one of two ways: enter a university or find a job. For the first one, it is important to say that the majority
of students in Romania have free college education; hence, if they study and have good grades, they can go to college. If
the latter option is chosen, maybe they will manage to find a good job and after one year they will want to keep it instead
of stay at home.
 The most important aspect of any plan meant to combat unemployment, we think, is creating jobs. This can be done by
many ways and we believe that all these should be exploited equally. One is supporting small entrepreneurs through
subventions and help them to create a market for their products or services. From agriculture to technology, companies
should be supported.
 On the other hand, the monopoly of multinational companies should be countered by state policy. We do not believe in
any way the state should close their trade borders for them, but it would be better to find a balance so that they no longer
impose conditions when entering the national market.
 For example, many such companies, when negotiating to entering into a new market, demand guarantees that the changes
in national legislation will not affect their business. If, however, such thing happens, the state has to pay compensations.
But if small entrepreneurs in Romania would get assistance, they would create more jobs and the state would not be
compelled to accept all the big companies wishes because the need for creating jobs would be partially fulfilled
elsewhere.

10.  The hours spent to get this solution are about 48-50.
 The subjects are young people between 18-24 age. Annually graduate over
200.000 students and more than half of them are unemployed. We believe that
out solution is feasible and if this will be implemented will help over 100.000
graduates.
 The solution strategy can be designed by 2015. From that moment Romania can
absorb the following European funds and some of that money can go in
education.
 This solution can be considered a reform of the educational system and its
implementation will take several years on fully. We estimate a period of 7 years
(2014-2020).
 Our solution can help many young people, the economy, the educationl system
and the standard of living.
 [1] From a speech given by the president of the Romania’s College of Doctors,
Vasile Astarastoae http://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/social.com