Promoting IVET

Public meetings and campaigns were made in cooperation with education, authorities and companies to raise their awareness of their vital role in the implementation of initial VET, the structure, organisation, calendar of admission to IVET programmes.

As every school year, in 2017, Crafts week was organised, to inform lower secondary education learners about different opportunities to continue their study and training within a form of initial VET programme (including the initial dual VET). This involved cooperation of both company and VET school representatives. Schools also went on visits to companies in order to find out about the environment, opportunities, code of conduct, examples of activities or stages of an activity, and the benefits of accessing initial VET programmes.

Sessions were organised on career guidance and counselling for lower secondary education learners. 280 teachers were trained on career guidance and counselling to provide support and carry out related activities with students enrolled in the eighth grade and promote initial VET as an option for education.

In 2018, the National Centre for TVET Development participated in public meetings and campaigns involving representatives from education (county school inspectors, school directors, teachers), local authorities and companies to raise their awareness of their vital role in the implementation of initial VET, the structure, organisation, and calendar of admission to IVET programmes.

The Crafts week was organised and strengthened the relationship among with potential IVET programme beneficiaries, IVET schools and employers.

Teachers (889) were trained on career guidance and counselling to provide support and carry out related activities with students enrolled in the eighth grade and promote initial VET as an option for education. More than 5 000 students benefited from such activities.

In 2019, the National Centre for TVET Development supported career guidance and counselling: training courses for lower secondary education students and ninth grade students and teachers through the JOBS project.

The centre also updated its institutional website with information related to initial VET in Romania.

In 2020, 42 online meetings with local committees for the development of social partnership took place, one meeting for each county. These are advisory committees (representatives from local authorities, companies, parents' association, county school inspectorates, trade unions) that support initial VET implementation by analysing the proposals for the enrolment of students in IVET, disseminating information about IVET programmes, participating in the approval of new qualifications based on labour market needs, supporting partnership agreements between schools and companies for the practical training of students.

The Crafts week was organised. In the North-East Region schools organised various events with topics such as the National day of trades debate (in Ia?i) and a joint meeting dedicated to National crafts day in Piatra Neam?.

The National Centre for TVET Development initiated the development of an-online publication to promote best practices of IVET that took place in various schools providing IVET qualifications: Vocation and passion in initial VET aims at promoting IVET and bringing public recognition to schools, students, and economic partners who faced and managed COVID-19 challenges in 2020. The publication was made available on their website.

Within the Erasmus+ project EQAVET-NRP-RO 2019-21, 10 networks of VET schools were established for 10 fields of professional training in which 59 VET schools are registered.

Between 11 February and 11 March 2020, the National Centre for TVET Development initiated, with the support of the education ministry, a public national campaign, The profession makes the difference, to promote relevant labour market qualifications. Three newsletters were issued in early 2020 to describe and present some of the most popular qualifications (car mechanic; operator on machines with numerical command; sales/commerce operator).

A press release was published regarding the beginning of the campaign on the website of the education ministry.

In 2021, the National Centre for TVET Development, county school inspectorates, schools, local authorities and companies worked together to promote the benefits of IVET in Romania and increase its attractiveness.

The activities (face-to-face and online) focused on:

1. young IVET learners and IVET graduates sharing successful experience acquired at the work-place;
2. the new education and training offer for 2022/23;
3. how potential graduates could develop a professional career within their company;
4. benefits, motivating work offers and career progression within companies.

The calendar of activities at county level reached a total of 2 418 events and was implemented with the support of local authorities, school and companies. These events are a rich source of information for potential students, parents, community, local authorities and VET providers (schools and companies).

The National Centre for TVET Development also promoted IVET by sharing information (Facebook, institution website, online meetings organised within other initial VET-related projects under implementation) and inviting schools to register and participate in international events such as Cedefop PhotoAwards, Selfie, and European Skills week. The partnership network of 59 schools exchanged good practices in IVET, promoted their IVET education offer by using the dedicated electronic communication platform created with the support of an Erasmus+ co-financed project on Quality Assurance in IVET.

The institution website was also used for constant communication with IVET beneficiaries and partners by regularly publishing important IVET news on training offers, new measures adopted to prevent COVID-19 spread, and new methodological guidelines.

Promoting IVET opportunities took place with the support of the National Centre for TVET Development, county school inspectorates, schools, local authorities and companies who worked together to showcase the benefits of IVET in Romania and increase its attractiveness.

The activities involved both face-to-face and online meetings where employers' representatives, young IVET graduates, public authorities, VET teachers and inspectors were invited to share their positive experiences and promote specific labour market opportunities after successfully graduating from IVET programmes. The National Centre for TVET Development monitored activities throughout the country with the support of county school inspectorates. The data collected showed an average of 250 events of promotional activities in each region.

The National Centre for TVET Development also continued to promote IVET by sharing information about training opportunities through their information channels.

In 2023, the National Centre for TVET Development continued promoting IVET among young learners in cooperation with county school inspectorates, VET schools, local authorities and companies similar as in 2022. Information channels and meetings also among teachers involved in partnership networks organised on thematic fields (as part of EQAVET project implementation) were also active.

In 2024, promoting IVET among young learners and adults continued. The activities included education fairs, annual crafts week events, career guidance/counselling and others.

A new approach to IVET was launched, based on the adoption of new education laws in 2023, including an introduction of complete dual pathway up to EQF level 8. A new approach to IVET, opportunities and prospects of personal and professional development for young students was also presented.