Starting 1st of July 2021 until 31st of August 2024, HEKS/EPER Romania Foundation in cooperation with Open Fields Foundation and Filantropia Ortodoxa Sibiu Association is implementing the project „From Education to Decent Work, Sibiu county”
The project addresses the transition from 8th grade to professional education on the one hand while on the other hand strengthening the links between employers, job seekers, school inspectorate and professional schools in order to improve the quality of professional education to enhance the employment perspectives of young graduates of professional schools.
The target groups / final beneficiaries are students and young adults from socially disadvantaged groups, including Roma, from Sibiu county:
– 7th and 8th grade students as target group for school and career counselling and tutoring. School and career counselling services will be provided for 1’000 socially disadvantaged students.
– Socially disadvantaged girls in 5th and 6th grade. 360 girls will be counselled to continue education.
– Teachers and/or other school staff (e.g. psychologists, school counsellors) of professional schools as a target group for capacity building in career counselling and orientation, inclusive education and specific methods to support socially disadvantaged students. 100 teachers and other school staff will be trained or counselled until the end of the project.
– 11th grade students from professional schools as target group for information, counselling, and job mediation. 1’000 young adults will be informed, counselled, and mediated until the end of the project.
– New employees from socially disadvantaged groups as target group for post-employment support and mentoring.150 employees will be coached until the end of the project.
– Employers/HR persons as target group of job mediation, sensitization, and trainings on how to facilitate the integration of disadvantaged employees and the handling of diversity. Minimum 25 companies will be involved in trainings.
The project proposes the following main intervention lines:
Outcome 1: More socially disadvantaged young people make the transition to professional or higher education.
Output 1.1: 8th grade students have a clear vision of their future career and choose their professional education accordingly.
Output 1.2: Secondary schools’ staff (school counsellors, psychologists or teachers) have the capacity to provide career counselling, mentoring socially disadvantaged students.
Output 1.3: Socially disadvantaged girls complete secondary education and continue to higher/ professional education.
Output 1.4: 7th/8th grade students increased their school performance.
Outcome 2: More socially disadvantaged graduates of professional schools are able to enter the formal labour market and stay longer at their jobs.
Output 2.1: Linkage between potential employers (local businesses and public sector) and professional schools’ graduates are strengthened, leading to job opportunities for vulnerable young people.
Output 2.2: Employers have increased abilities to support the integration of socially disadvantaged employees through training of mentors and adapted induction/HR processes.
Output 2.3: Professional schools have increased abilities to cooperate with the private sector and to prepare the students for the demands of the labour market.