The document discusses youth employment and perspectives in Romania. Some key points: - Romania's overall employment rate is 58.5% but only 23.8% for youth aged 15-24. - Graduates with higher education have an 82.1% employment rate compared to 40.5% for those with low education. - Employers value soft skills like personality and communication over hard skills or academic results. - Graduates feel they gain more theoretical than practical knowledge in university and would benefit from more practice. - Labor market involvement in universities is generally low regarding curricula, donations, internships and decision making.

2. LINKING LABOR MARKET ASPIRATIONS
WITH CONTENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
YOUTH PERSPECTIVE IN ROMANIA
September, 2012

3. Employment rate in Romania
In 2011:
- The employment rate for working age population(15-64 years): 58,5%
- The employment rate for population aged 20-64 years was 62,8%
- The employment rate for youth (15-24 years) was 23,8%

4. Employment rate in Romania
According to Eurostat, the EU-27 employment rate for persons aged 15
to 64 years is 64,2%
Education level:
82,1% - employment rate for graduates of higher education
62,3% - employment rate of people with medium level of education
40,5% - employment rate of people with low level of education

5. Youth employability
Actual status of Bachelor degree graduates in the last five years

6. Youth employability
Number of necessary months in finding a job in the studied area after graduation

7. Youth employability
The importance given by the employers on different skills
The impression made during the interview
Personality
Study domain
Specialization
Recommendations
Computer skills
Knowing a foreign language
Work experience during studies
Results at Bachelor exam
Practice experience
Work experience before studies
University reputation
Study experience abroad
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
100%
Not important at all A little bit important Neither important, nor unimportant Important Very important

8. Youth employability
The importance given by the employers on soft skills and hard skills depending on the
Study domain
Veterinary
Architecture
Economics
Natural sciences
Technologies
Exact sciences
Law
Social and political sciences
Humanities
Health
Agriculture
Arts
Sports
SOFT SKILLS HARD SKILLS

9. Youth employability
Graduates opinion regarding the usefulness of studies at their actual jobs
I obtained the Practice was useful for I`d rather say that I
DOMAIN necessary skills for my my job obtain the necessary
job skills directly at the job
Exact sciences 52% 52% 80%
Natural sciences 53% 51% 82%
Humanities 51% 48% 88%
Law 64% 51% 87%
Social and political sciences 56% 51% 84%
Economics 49% 44% 90%
Arts 71% 69% 73%
Architecture 76% 63% 61%
Sports 47% 45% 76%
Agriculture 65% 56% 82%
Technologies 55% 52% 86%
Veterinary 61% 63% 86%
Health 81% 91% 86%
TOTAL 55% 51% 86%

10. Youth employability
Graduates opinion on what they gained after graduating the studies
DOMAIN Theoretical knowledge Practical skills
Exact sciences 66% 34%
Natural sciences 62% 38%
Humanities 70% 30%
Law 75% 25%
Social and political sciences 68% 32%
Economics 72% 28%
Arts 46% 54%
Architecture 59% 41%
Sports 58% 42%
Agriculture 59% 41%
Technologies 69% 31%
Veterinary 68% 32%
Health 60% 40%
TOTAL 69% 31%

11. Youth employability
Methods used by employers for recruiting the graduates
Percentage
They applied for a vacant announced job 71%
We utilized personal contacts (family, friends, employers) 25%
We approached the National Agency for Workforce 22%
They contacted us without knowing that we have a vacant job position 13%
We contacted a human resources agency 9%
We hired students during their studies 8%
The graduates sent public announcements where stating their will to work 3%
We were helped by the university/ faculty career centers 3%
We were helped by a teacher from an university/a faculty 2%
We approached each one of them in the faculty or in other places 1%
Other methods 8%
TOTAL 167%

12. Involvement of labor market in
universities
Feedback on the curricula
In 85% of the universities the labor market doesn`t give its feedback
on the curricula at the beginning of an academic year.
In 9% of the universities, the students consider the labor market has a
medium involvement in developing the curricula.
Only in 6% of the universities, the students consider the labor market
has an important role in developing the curricula and give its
feedback on it.

13. Involvement of labor market in
universities
Donations and sponsorships
47% of the students consider the labor market is not active in this
respect in their universities.
32% consider the labor market has a medium involvement in
donations and sponsorships in their universities.
21% consider the labor market has a significant involvement in this
respect in their universities.

14. Involvement of labor market in
universities
Private scholarships for students
77% of the students consider the labor market is completely inactive
in this respect in their universities.
15% consider the labor market has a medium involvement in offering
private scholarships for students in their universities.
8% consider the labor market has a significant involvement in this
respect in their universities.

15. Involvement of labor market in
universities
Practice and internships for students
47% of the students consider the labor market does not have a
significant contribution in offering practice programs and
internships for students during their studies.
44% consider the labor market has a medium involvement in offering
practice programs and internships for students during their studies.
9% consider the labor market has a significant involvement in this
respect in their universities.

16. Involvement of labor market in
universities
How students see involvement of labor market
in decision-making structures should look like

17. Recommendations
For the Ministry of Education
- To develop national studies about private scholarships and to lobby
to labor market to increase its investment in Education
- To create a national department responsible with attracting and
collecting private funds for education from the labor market
- To create a national structure who will collaborate with the labor
market, bringing together representatives of the academic stuff,
employers and students
- To make pressures so that the new National Education Law is
respected (for example the article saying universities should ensure
at least 30% of the student practices)

18. Recommendations
For Universities
- To organize at least one meeting for every year where brining
together representatives of labor market with the academic staff
and students
- To realize annual researches about labor market’s feedback on the
curricula using
- To stimulate and to facilitate the access to labor market to provide
optional courses in universities
- To develop an annual strategy on private found raising, which will
increase the number of private scholarships, donations and
sponsorships
- To respect the new National Education Law with all its aspects
- To create a department at university level who will be responsible
to find practice places for students and to monitor their quality

19. Recommendations
For Universities
- To create practice places and internships inside the university
- To create a consultative structure at university level where
representatives of labor market will be full members
- To monitor and evaluate the evolution of its graduates and their
integration on labor market

20. What students can do
- Good practices -
Academic vs. Private
1. Opinion polling trough the application of questionnaires to a sample
of 8000 students on determining the current level of connectivity
between the university and labor market
2. Making contact with the private sector – at least 7 representatives,
academics – at least 5 representatives and public authorities – at
least 4 representatives in each of the 8 centers
3. Printing of information materials – 4000 posters, 16.000 stickers,
16.000 brochures, 32.000 flyers and 600 maps to inform students,
media and stakeholders about the purpose and the objectives of
the project
4. Creating a site dedicated to this project including information about
the current level of absorption of students/graduates in the labor
market and a special forum for discussions

21. What students can do
- Good practices -
Academic vs. Private
- opinion polling trough the application of questionnaires to a sample
of 8000 students, members of leading bodies from universities and
public institutions
- information and awareness campaign among students and members
of leading bodies from universities using various promotional
materials (posters, leaflets, brochures, stickers, flyers) and media
(radio spots, website)
- 8 debates at national and local level, with the participation of
students, members of the academic community, representatives of
private companies, public institutions, NGOs
- publication of a material which contains the conclusions of the
debates, examples of good and bad practices and
recommendations

22. What students can do
- Good practices -
Junior Summer University
- A two week simulation for high school students on what means to
be a student at the faculty they want to go to

23. Questions?

24. Thank you!
Paldies!