While major urban centers keep pace with digitalization and new market demands, the North-East region remains one of the most economically vulnerable areas in Romania, with a poverty rate of 35.6%, the highest in the country. This economic gap is deepened by imbalances in the labor market: data show that in 2024 the region had the largest number of unemployed people in the country, exceeding 50,600.
Against this backdrop, the Amfiteatru Foundation launched the “Career Skills Development – North-East Region” project in 2024, running through 2027. The initiative aims to support 601 employees from the counties of Suceava, Botoșani, Vaslui, Iași, Bacău and Neamț. Participants will update their knowledge and acquire new skills suited to today’s technological requirements. The project helps employees hold on to their jobs with confidence, and helps employers grow alongside better-prepared teams.
Before enrolling in training courses, the project focuses on clarifying the real benefits that continuous learning brings to everyday work. This stage includes career counseling services, through which each employee is motivated and guided to assess their current skills against market requirements and to shape a realistic career plan with both medium- and long-term goals.
The counseling stage is followed by practical training programs designed around current labor market needs. The main focus is on developing digital skills, an area where Romania lags noticeably behind the rest of Europe: the European Commission’s latest analysis shows that only 27.7% of citizens have basic digital skills, compared with the European average of 55%. To meet this need, the project offers courses tailored to different levels of experience. A total of 360 people will complete the qualification program for sales assistants, focused on technologies used in retail, while another 140 employees in operational roles will take digital specialization modules. In addition, 305 participants will complete a 40-hour course in digital communication and strategic sales. The program is rounded out by a 180-hour module for human resources inspectors and a strategic management program for 60 managers. Participation is further encouraged through financial grants of 600 lei for graduates of the sales assistant course and 900 lei for those who complete the human resources course.
No single intervention can radically change the economic landscape on its own, but helping employees acquire new skills lays the groundwork for gradual growth. Continuous learning remains an essential tool through which employees in the region can align with current requirements, turning the acquisition of new knowledge from an immediate need into a long-term strategy.
Sources:
Comisia Europeană, Digital Economy and Society Indicators, 2024, URL: Digital Economy and Society Indicators – Digital Decade DESI visualisation tool
Iftimoaei, C, Sărăcia și excluziunea socială la nivel național și în profil regional. Direcția Județeană de Statistică Iași, URL: Ciprian-Iftimoaei-Aspecte-statistice-privind-saracia-si-excluziunea-sociala.pdf
Institutul Național de Statistică, „SOM101B – Șomeri înregistrați pe categorii de șomeri, sexe, macroregiuni, regiuni de dezvoltare și județe”, TEMPO Online, URL: TEMPO Online