A number of 22 high schools and national colleges in Romania have received the title of "Entrepreneurship College", within a program implemented by the National Center for the Development of Vocational and Technical Education (CNDIPT), which aims to promote entrepreneurship as a career option among students, IMM Romania announced on Friday.
"22 high schools and national colleges in Romania have acquired the title of "Entrepreneurship College", a significant first step in a broader approach aimed at integrating entrepreneurship among the concrete career options promoted in the Romanian education system," the press release states.
The project is implemented by CNDIPT, in partnership with IMM Romania, the Ministry of Education and the National Center for Curriculum and Evaluation (CNCE), the cited source states.
"Romania needs entrepreneurs and IMM Romania believes that an important change starts at school. That is why the organization enthusiastically joined this national program dedicated to supporting and preparing young people for real entrepreneurial life, in which they can learn about courage, risk-taking, vision and initiative. The title of entrepreneurship college is the first step and, at the same time, a promise we make that we will return to these colleges with tools and programs that will concretely help young people who see entrepreneurship as a career option", declared Florin Jianu, president of IMM Romania, quoted in the press release.
Although SMEs represent the backbone of the economy (99% of companies), Romania has only 49 such companies per thousand inhabitants, below the European average, which is 58 SMEs per thousand inhabitants.
According to the president of IMM Romania, the solution does not lie only in fiscal policies, but in changing the mentality even from school.
"The Entrepreneurship Colleges project started as a dream and developed through work, perseverance, but also thanks to valuable partnerships. We chose to have a partnership in each activity of this project - be it public or private. In fact, partnerships are an essential element for changing and adapting technological education in Romania. We are not stopping here, we will continue alongside our partners", declared Dalia Dărămus, director of the National Center for the Development of Vocational and Technical Education (CNDIPT).
Among the criteria that formed the basis for the award of the College of Entrepreneurship distinction was the existence and encouragement at the level of the respective educational units of practice firms - simulated enterprises in which students reproduce all the processes of a real company, from transactions and marketing to accounting, without using real money or goods, the cited source mentions.
The implementation of practice firms within the new "Entrepreneurship Colleges" represents more than a teaching method, it is a catalyst for structural transformation of Romanian education.
From a strategic point of view, these entities function as true laboratories of educational innovation, where economic theory is "translated" into concrete decisions, resource management and calculated risk-taking, offering students a safe space to make mistakes and learn before entering the real market.
"I congratulate all the students who participated in this activity because they are motivated young people eager to get involved and learn about entrepreneurship and the world that awaits them after completing their studies. We all need their involvement and the newness that they can bring to society," said Bogdan Cristescu, General Director, National Center for Curriculum and Evaluation.
In turn, Sorin Ion, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education, mentioned that we are going through "a period of profound change in the philosophy underlying technological education, which constitutes a challenge. "Projects of this kind can play an essential role in this transformation", emphasized Sorin Ion.
Specifically, the educational institutions that have received this distinction will have the opportunity to expand their educational offer with concrete options for modern professional training, which can prepare students for a digital, sustainable and dynamic economy, the document also states.
Statistics show that more than half of young people in Romania want to be entrepreneurs and a third of SME owners are under 35 years old.
The European Union supports programs that offer young people the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship or even to develop concrete business plans. These initiatives are duplicated in many countries through national programs.
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