Meetings of Local Working Groups on Dual Education, November 2024

Meetings of Local Working Groups on Dual Education, November 2024

On November 19, 20, and 26, 2024, meetings of local working groups were held as part of the projects Inclusion of Disadvantaged Youth in the Romanian Labor Market and From Education to Decent Work. The events took place in Sibiu, Alba Iulia, and Sfântu Gheorghe (Covasna) and brought together representatives from the education sector (school inspectors, principals, and teachers) and the business community. The discussions focused on future directions for dual education in vocational schools in Romania.

The events were organized in partnership with organizations Filantropia Ortodoxă Sibiu, Fundația Open Fields, Filantropia Ortodoxă Alba Iulia, Fundația Creștină Diakonia Sfântu Gheorghe and Centrul Român de Politici Europene – CRPE, providing an opportunity for reflection and action on the necessary changes in the education system.

The topics discussed included:

• Updates introduced by the Law on Pre-University Education No. 198/2023 and the Methodology for Organizing Dual Education;
• Obstacles in organizing dual education;
• The role of local committees for developing social partnerships (CLDP);
• National and international best practices in dual education;
• The involvement of local authorities;
• Dialogue between schools and economic agents;
• The role of PAS (School Action Plans) and CDL (Local Development Curricula) in strengthening relationships between schools and community partners;
• The current state of dual education in high schools and partner companies in Sibiu, Alba, and Covasna counties.

The meetings provided an opportunity to gather valuable recommendations on vocational and dual education directly from practitioners. These insights will be incorporated into position papers by the Romanian Center for European Policies (CRPE) and subsequently submitted to the Ministry of Education.