Youth are the engine of society, students are the social architects of tomorrow!

1. Youth are the engine of society, students are the social architects of tomorrow! Romania Technical University Gheorghe Asachi of Iasi Faculty of Civil Engineerinf and Building Services • Savoaia Alexe • Tiplic Alexandra Smart project team

2. What is unemployment? In order to find a solution to decrease youth unemployment must understand the phenomenon of unemployment, so we had discussions on this issue with our teachers and colleagues, and after several questions and answers we concluded that unemployment is considered a negative element economic development in different proportions that affects all countries, especially the underdeveloped and transition to a market economy. Youth unemployment is a real and very serious problem because youth participation in the global economy is continuously decreasing, and this brings only losses to the states. If young people remain outside the labor market too long, they lose skills, motivation and efficiency for a long period of time, and will integrate more difficult when they finally find the suitable offers,the problem becomes very serious need quick fix. A direct effect of severe unemployment is stagnant credit and consumption, so hence the economic growth will be slowed, and the consequences will be disastrous long-term. Another problem is that the relation between employees and pensioners deteriorates over time, so in a few years we will not be able to support pension payments. Transition from school to work is a crucial step in personal and professional development of young people to adult life. Consequences of unemployment at a young age can become serious problems. Unemployment among young people is often associated with social problems such as violence, murder, suicide and drug and alcohol abuse. 2

3. What is the current situation of unemployment in Romania? In Romania, the lack of professional training, poor quality of education and absenteeism among students are the main reasons why young people hardly find a suitable job. The more difficult it is to those who have just finished college or high school , meaning young people under 25 years. High unemployment in this category brings huge losses to the economy Other causes of youth unemployment are: lack of relevant job skills: lack of experience and recommendations to increase confidence of companies in young people with potential ; underground economy; geographical influences. Our country needs a more efficient education system and a system of vocational training so that young people who do not attend superior education to integrate better in the labor market. 3

4. Brain drain Typology of migrant Migration for employment has become the most important part of Romanian migration in recent years. In particular, youngsters in the countryside, experiencing unpredictable labor market in Romania, found in migration a solution to ensure constant incomes necessary to the foundation of a family and the transition to adult status. Along with "muscle migration", another category of romanians chose to migrate: professionals, graduates and highly skilled. They are looking for wages that match their skills and a system that make them feel valued and appreciated. Romanian professionals migrate for a longer period of time and consider permanent establishment in other countries. Among romanian migrants are young professionals and researchers. Education systems in western countries are more advanced in research, and funding allows not only competitiveness, but above all, results. Thus, graduates of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania can have the chance to work abroad. Romanian students and professionals are recognized for hard training in a relevant educational system in the field. Of course, the receiving country benefits from the capitalization effect these foreign talents. If they do not return to the country of origin, the brain drain translates latter into wasted potential that would add value that could have a lead for the development of society. 4

5. Youth are the engine of society, students are the social architects of tomorrow! • Our solution to stop youth unemployment is a partnership between firms / companies and universities. This partnership must be approved by 3 parts: company, student and faculty. • Our solution, a long-term, targeting current and / or prospective students. We focus on this category becausevwe belong to it, and thus we try to prevent unemployment because, as with the disease it’s easier to prevent than treat. • What is this partnership? This partnership solves the problem of student experience, one of the most important aspects of employment. We propose that the practice periods to coincide with a summer job in a company during summer vacations. • What does the company gain? Companies that opt for a strategic approach to training and recruitment of young students will enjoy substantial rewards: youth is an advantage for companies because the meet both consumer status, and as innovative, category influencing public opinion and have technical knowledge. Another benefit would be tax exemption. • What does the state gain,represented in this case by the university? First earn the trust of future generations that will work, secondly attract potential partners (companies) for various activities that include students, and not least the economy would return to normal or could increase. • Following the discussions with students, seem to be particularly concerned about work, namely the difficulties encountered in finding a suitable job to their preparation. The respondents students even confess that the lack of jobs is one of the main topics addressed in discussions between colleagues. From this point of view, the students seem to fear the future, having already installed confident that work will long remain a dream for them. Personal development, skills training and the accumulation of knowledge and skills related to a profession, the conditions for advancement - in a word career development - is not the criteria of orientation on the labor market. • What benefits have the students? The first benefit would be accumulating much needed employment experience, a second benefit would be learning to work in teams (as will collaborate with other employees of that company for different tasks they have to accomplish), and last but not least have the guarantee of a job after graduation. 5

6. The contributing part How can a student benefit from these periods of practice?A student stands out and draws attention future employer and the teachers who can recommend them for the work that they carry: good results in examinations, involvement in various projects, participation in national and international competitions, membership in an NGO, volunteering, shortly preparing for a real job and responsibility. What should companies do? To realize that this solution tries to combine the experience of older with the dynamism and vitality of young people, ensuring the transfer of knowledge, and should be open to such vocational training for prospective employees. For choosing the best students, companies can choose between : granting scholarships, organizing competitions on topics related to the specialty, solving projects ( so students will have an advantage because this makes the difference between knowledge gained in college and the problems solved in research)and investing in research (which leads to the development of the company). What do faculties do? For this partnership project, faculties should develop collaboration on this issue, should support their the students in terms of national and international competitions, and revise school curricula according to the needs of employers. 6

7. The timeline 7

8. Successrate can be calculated as: Rs= n- student evaluation 5 – number of evaluations • The success rate during the project depends on the following factors : • The results at the end of each session ( • Results in competitions ( • Acquiring practical knowledge ( • Involvement in projects ( • Time from graduation to employment( • Finally, the success rate will be compared with the success rate of other students who were not part of our program. 8

9. Outcomes and Results If our solution will be implemented, the unemployment rate among young people with higher education will fall by over 70%, ecomony will grow as young consumers and innovators will put such things in motion. Project implementation will expedite a major change in the education system currently precarious, increasing the motivation of young people to study and intellectual performance. Private sector collaboration with university education system leads to the development of research,thus market development and attracting foreign capital investors. 9

10. Impact plan spread information Our team is ready to spend a lot of time to implement the program and to inform students. As we showed, the program covers a period of 3 years and the first year we are open to work with all students through student associations. If in good time information gets to 80% of students and 80% of them are involved, the project will be a success if 80% of those involved are employed of the partner companies. young unemployed feedback 100% feedback 80-100% use the full information/total involvement -completing an unclear way - personal dissatisfaction -finding a job -financial opportunities -successful young unemployment 10