The fourth edition of the competition ‘NOARK Electric supports schools in turning dreams into reality’ brought together initial vocational education and training (IVET) schools from across Romania. The initiative strengthens links between IVET and the electrical-engineering labour market by giving learners access to modern industrial equipment, practical project-based experience, employer visibility and opportunities to develop both technical and transversal skills.
The competition has been organised annually since 2022, which shows its continuity and growing visibility among IVET learners. It is an important instrument for strengthening the relevance, quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training by connecting learning more closely with technological innovation and labour-market needs. It enables learners to apply technical knowledge in practical contexts while they develop key transversal competences, including problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, digital competence and entrepreneurial thinking. Students who participate in the competition usually receive public recognition from professionals and companies in the electrical-engineering sector or related fields, which may support their transition into employment and improve their labour-market prospects after graduation.
Open to all Romanian high schools with an electrical-engineering profile, the competition involved 35 IVET schools whose student teams were invited to develop innovative technical projects that address current environmental and energy challenges. Participating teams could submit one project under one of three thematic areas:
- energy production and consumption management;
- energy storage and grid stability;
- recycling and waste processing.
Participation has expanded steadily since the early editions, growing from a smaller initiative in a few countries to a European competition that, by its fourth edition, involved 123 electrical-engineering schools from nine countries. The competition had two stages: a regional stage held in Romania and a European final stage held in Prague between 30 March and 1 April 2026. The final brought together regional winners from nine European countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Serbia. Each team presented and defended functional electrical-engineering projects focused on sustainability before an expert jury and took part in an international networking and benchmarking event.
Romania achieved a notable result at European level, as the team from ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ Technological High School in Buzău won the final competition, bringing Romania first place in Europe. This technological high school in Buzău, which operates as a dual-education institution, is strongly connected to the local labour market through partnerships with more than 30 companies. The school has also attracted European funding and developed its own curriculum, including elements related to Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence. The award-winning project developed a functional NOARK-based system to shred PET bottles and plastic packaging, reducing waste volume for recycling. It combines mechanical, electrical and real-time monitoring components in line with sustainability and Industry 4.0 trends.
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| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Romania, & Cedefop (2026, July 7). Romania: VET learners demonstrate green and digital skills in European technical competition. National news on VET |