- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Completed
Background
The national strategy to reduce early leaving from education and training adopted in 2015 promoted social inclusion measures for children at risk, including the School after school programme and networks of the 'second chance' programmes in urban and rural areas. The strategy emphasises the quality of learning materials, staff training/counselling and career guidance services available to teachers, school mediators and professional school counsellors, and learners.
The first 2014-15 Youth guarantee implementation plan was elaborated in 2013 following the Council recommendation of 22 April 2013 and its implementation began in January 2014. Partnership is the basis of this approach. Many institutions that offer services in education and vocational training and employment of young people have undertaken combined measures of employment, training, entrepreneurship, mobility support or second chance education programmes.
Objectives
To reduce unemployment among young people, and especially young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs): all young people under the age of 25 who lose their job or who do not find a job after finishing their studies receive, within 4 months from registering with employment agencies or at youth guarantee centres, an offer of good quality employment, continuation of education, apprenticeship or internship.
Description
Since 2016, the Youth guarantee implementation plan has put emphasis on initiatives that combine employment with training of the workforce, which gives young people the opportunity to improve their skills obtained during initial education and to acquire new skills through participation in apprenticeships and traineeships. The new Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 continues all the measures of its predecessor.
The Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 focuses on initiatives to reach the most disadvantaged groups of young people on the labour market. Employers are encouraged to provide employment opportunities to young people by providing subsidies. Measures include financial incentives for employers offering apprenticeships and traineeships.
The 2017-20 plan continues those initiatives that combine employment and training and the National Agency for Employment acts as a catalyst for the whole approach. The key element for the new plan was the amendment of the Unemployment insurance law. The plan contains both intervention measures and activities as well as support measures for the integration of young people in the labour market.
An important role is played by the measures dedicated to increasing the mobility of young people by granting mobility bonuses for framing, installation and relocation, as well as activation bonuses.
To make the measures to stimulate mobility more attractive, and to contribute to...
Since 2016, the Youth guarantee implementation plan has put emphasis on initiatives that combine employment with training of the workforce, which gives young people the opportunity to improve their skills obtained during initial education and to acquire new skills through participation in apprenticeships and traineeships. The new Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 continues all the measures of its predecessor.
The Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 focuses on initiatives to reach the most disadvantaged groups of young people on the labour market. Employers are encouraged to provide employment opportunities to young people by providing subsidies. Measures include financial incentives for employers offering apprenticeships and traineeships.
The 2017-20 plan continues those initiatives that combine employment and training and the National Agency for Employment acts as a catalyst for the whole approach. The key element for the new plan was the amendment of the Unemployment insurance law. The plan contains both intervention measures and activities as well as support measures for the integration of young people in the labour market.
An important role is played by the measures dedicated to increasing the mobility of young people by granting mobility bonuses for framing, installation and relocation, as well as activation bonuses.
To make the measures to stimulate mobility more attractive, and to contribute to correcting the imbalances between supply and demand in the labour market, the legislative framework aims to provide a mobility package that targets especially vulnerable areas and can be provided for the whole family. Those who are willing to relocate more than 50 km away for employment receive, for 12 months, a sum from the unemployment insurance budget to cover their transport and rent expenses, as well as an allowance for their spouses. The First rent programme is a recently introduced measure granting a monthly relocation bonus, for up to 36 months, to registered unemployed persons who are working in another locality more than 50 km away from home.
The measures are financed both from the unemployment insurance budget and from EU structural and cohesion funds or other sources.
In July 2018, the qualifications authority and the labour ministry introduced qualification level 1 to the national qualifications framework. In November 2018, the labour ministry developed a list of elementary occupations for which level 1 qualification programmes can be organised for unskilled adults.
As the collection data were available for 2017-20, and not annually, the summary quantitative data are provided below.
Between 1 July 2017 and 31 December 2019, under the Youth guarantee implementation in 2017-20:
- support for 133 851 young people under age 25/NEETs registered in the integrated database of the National Agency for Employment;
- 249 118 young NEETs accessed the active measures of the National Agency for Employment;
- 134 620 young NEETs became employed;
- 213 139 young NEETs benefited from career information and counselling services;
- 15 255 young NEETs benefited from vocational training courses;
- 605 young NEETs received mobility bonuses (employment);
- 145 young NEETs received installation bonuses;
- 3 376 young NEETs received activation bonuses;
- 590 young NEETs received relocation bonuses;
- 10 960 young NEETs were employed by employers who accessed grants/subsidies;
- 330 young people at risk of social marginalisation were employed;
- 161 507 students were informed about measures to stimulate employment or the participation of young people in vocational training/education, in 3 749 information sessions;
- 16 287 students enrolled in the Second chance programme for primary education and 30 763 students in the Second chance programme for lower secondary education;
- 1 105 apprenticeship contracts were signed;
- 121 graduates of higher education were beneficiaries of traineeship programmes.
In 2020, the National Agency for Employment provided counselling, career guidance services and necessary vocational training to support NEETs in increasing their opportunities to get a qualification and become employable.
In 2020, under the implementation of the Youth guarantee plan:
- 50 736 young people under 25/NEETs registered in the integrated database of the National Agency for Employment;
- 85 432 young NEETs accessed the active measures of the National Agency for Employment;
- 48 277 young NEETs became employed;
- 72 536 young NEETs benefited from career information and counselling services;
- 1 475 young NEETs benefited from vocational training courses;
- 227 young NEETs received mobility bonuses (employment);
- 59 young NEETs received installation bonuses;
- 719 young NEETs received activation bonuses;
- 188 young NEETs received relocation bonuses;
- 2 527 young NEETs were employed by employers who accessed grants/subsidies;
- 31 young people at risk of social marginalisation were employed;
- 9 572 students were informed about measures to stimulate employment or the participation of young people in vocational training/education, in 272 information sessions;
- 16 287 students enrolled in the Second chance programme for primary education and 30 763 students in the Second chance programme for lower secondary education;
- 129 apprenticeship contracts were signed;
- 121 graduates of higher education were beneficiaries of traineeship programmes.
In 2021, the National Agency for Employment was implementing 16 ESF projects as part of the Youth guarantee initiative. They supported NEETs (age 16-30), reducing their risk of unemployment and providing for opportunities in terms of qualification through apprenticeship programmes or second chance school programmes.
The INTESPO project identified and supported almost 200 000 NEETs, including access to information, guidance and counselling, CVET programmes, work mediation services and second chance education programmes. Their academic/competence profile was determined; they benefited from tailor-made programmes of active measures to increase their access to employment.
The National Agency for Employment used mobile teams of experts in their county-level units to identify NEETs, create their academic/competence profile and register them with the service. The project is scheduled to end in March 2022 but the agency has already launched 6 new smaller projects to support NEETs.
The most popular activities supporting NEETs were active measures for employment, guidance and counselling, the allowance (called 'bonus') and professional training.
In 2021, the labour ministry also developed the National strategy for employment 2021-27 and its implementation plan, including support measures for NEETs.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of National Education (until 2021)
- National Agency for Employment (ANOFM)
- Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity
- Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (until 2021)
Target groups
Learners
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Education professionals
- Guidance practitioners
Entities providing VET
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)
Thematic categories
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Youth guarantee implementation plan 2017-20: Romania. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28516