SEPAL study visit in Brussels, in the field of vocational training and labour market mediation

 The so-called “future of jobs” is closer than we have imagined and nowadays, only a few teens who look forward to entering the labour market, are still interested in usual professions. With the fast ascending path of digitalization, new jobs have emerged in the recent years, providing opportunities we could not have foreseen before the popularization of online tools.

With this is mind, between the 19th and 20th of May 2022, a Romanian delegation formed by SEPAL (Supporting Employment Platform through Apprenticeship Learning) Project representatives, has participated in a study visit in Brussels, to “Explore School and Vocational Education Opportunities and Boost International Cooperation”. The two-days event, organized by the Brussels Office of the North-East Romanian RDA, has enjoyed the presence of Lead Partner – Bucovina Institute’s President, Mr. Petru-Vasile Gafiuc, accompanied by teachers from “Oltea Doamna” Technological High School Dolhasca, representatives of the ACDC Association Romania, FONSS, Suceava County School Inspectorate and The General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection Botoșani (DGASPC). In the context of the European Vocational Skills Week 2022, SEPAL’s delegates have had the chance to exchange ideas with Belgian experts in the field of labour market mediation, finding out that in the local system, professional orientation first starts at the age of 12 and continues at 16, so that teenagers get an early perspective on how
they want their future to look like and what has to be done to reach that point.

Along with Yassen Spassov (DG EAC), Joao Santos (DG EMPL) and Diana Andreea Spiridon (DG EMPL) – representatives of the European Comission, participants have debated the importance of flexibility in vocational training programs, as to adapt their curricula to the current needs of the unemployed and moreover, the forever-changing professions in the digital era. In the second part of the discussions, it was highlighted that young NEETs, aged between 16 and 29, face a lack o social innovation, which also reflects in the difficulties encountered when searching for a workplace. At the moment, vocational training opportunities in the field of entrepreneurship or digital skills, for example, are still underdeveloped, but one easy-to-implement solution could be establishing partnerships with local entrepreneurs, who possess the required knowledge, as role models for the young generation.

The conclusion that we’ve drawn in the end, was that paying attention to the NEETs’ demands and needs and providing personalized training could make a great difference in accessing a job on the labour market. In addition, employment support services must consider introducing mentorship and social assistance in their extended portfolio, as a way out of unemployment and vulnerability.

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