Youth Empowered: Tackling Youth unemployment in Romania

The Social Challenge 

Youth unemployment in Romania poses significant challenges, particularly for vulnerable groups such as those from the foster care system and high schools with low promotion rates. These marginalized youths often encounter systemic barriers to education, training and employment opportunities, limiting their ability to build sustainable futures and perpetuating cycles of poverty and social exclusion. High school dropout rates exacerbate the situation, leaving many youths without the qualifications needed for gainful employment.

Addressing these challenges is critical for fostering economic self-sufficiency and social inclusion. Comprehensive support systems are needed to help teenagers and young adults (aged 16 to 25) complete their education and secure jobs that match their potential. By empowering these young individuals, society can create a more inclusive and prosperous future, reducing the long-term socioeconomic costs associated with youth unemployment and underemployment.

The Partnership 

The #YouthEmpowered initiative, launched in 2017, demonstrates the transformative potential of public-private-civil society partnerships. By combining The Social Incubator's grassroots expertise with Coca-Cola HBC’s extensive ecosystem and collaboration with Romania's educational and labor authorities, this partnership bridges the crucial gap between academic learning and real-world employment. It leverages the strengths and resources of diverse stakeholders to empower marginalized youths in Romania by creating a supportive ecosystem that enhances their employability, self-confidence and personal development.

The Partners

• The Social Incubator NGO
• Coca-Cola HBC
• National General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection
• Ministry of Education and the National School Inspectorate
• The National Agency for Employment
• Local Schools and Communities

The Idea and the Action

The #YouthEmpowered partnership employs a one-to-one, personalized, multifaceted approach to tackle youth unemployment and underemployment. This comprehensive strategy addresses various aspects of personal and professional development to ensure marginalized youths in Romania are well-prepared for workforce and life challenges. By providing targeted support, education and practical training, the partnership ensures that participants receive the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the job market and achieve their educational and professional goals.

Personalized career counseling sessions are designed to address individual barriers and aspirations and help youths identify their strengths, set realistic career goals, and develop actionable plans to achieve them. In-person workshops are combined with online resources to create flexible and accessible training opportunities. Blended learning platforms enable participants to engage with educational materials at their own pace and convenience, ensuring that they can balance their training with other responsibilities.

Leveraging Coca-Cola HBC's corporate expertise and ecosystem of collaborators, the partnership offers mentorship programs where experienced professionals provide valuable insights into the corporate world, share industry knowledge, and help participants build professional networks. It also organizes job shadowing experiences and speaker series with professionals from various fields that expose participants to different career paths and industries, helping them make informed decisions about their futures. Technology and data analytics are utilized to create digital job placement platforms that connect youths with employment opportunities tailored to their skills and interests.

Recognizing the importance of mental health, the partnership provides access to counseling services and safe spaces where participants can discuss their challenges and receive emotional support. Ensuring psycho-emotional safety is vital for building resilience and confidence among the youths.

The partnership fosters a sense of hope and belonging by promoting community building among participants. Through group activities, collaborative projects, volunteer and community engagement initiatives, youths develop strong support networks and a sense of solidarity. This communal approach drives positive change in their lives and communities, encouraging active participation and social inclusion.

The Impact

Since its inception in 2017, the #YouthEmpowered partnership has significantly improved the lives over 41,000 young Romanians and more than 794,000 youth who have participated in the #YouthEmpowered programs in countries with Coca-Cola HBC presence.

The program has reduced school dropout and youth unemployment rates; improved performance on national exams and higher university admission rates; increased job retention; enhanced employability and self-confidence; and empowered youths to become economically self-sufficient and active contributors to society.

The partnership's collaborative approach and commitment to inclusivity continue to pave the way for a more equitable and prosperous future for marginalized youths in Romania and all countries where Youth Empowered is implemented. By embedding empowerment principles into local communities, it cultivates a culture of self-reliance and continuous improvement, ensuring lasting change beyond the project's duration. The partnership prioritizes capacity building and skill transfer to local stakeholders, empowering them to independently address future challenges. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks track progress and identify areas for refinement, ensuring adaptability and responsiveness to evolving needs. Strategic collaborations with government agencies and community organizations create pathways for ongoing support and resource mobilization.

Through these concerted efforts, the partnership aims to establish a legacy of positive social change and empowerment for future generations. The work does not stop here, as the ultimate objective is to empower one million youths across 28 countries by 2025 through the Coca-Cola system. The program remains dedicated to this goal, continuously striving towards a future where every young person has the tools, skills, inspiration and hope to succeed.

The Faculty Insight

In addition to experience and education, networking is a significant factor in being hired for a job. Imagine if your family, friends, neighbors, classmates or former employers are no better connected than you are. For disadvantaged youth, employment is not just an ideal opportunity to learn new skills (technical and social), but it also provides exposure to different experiences and well-established individuals. Research suggests that work provides an increase in confidence, improvements in mental health and well-being, and feelings of safety and value. Opportunities for youth to acquire career competencies have a significant return on investment for families, communities and nations.

While the benefits of workforce trainers collaborating with employers are fairly clear, it is important to note key factors that contribute to successful outcomes.

• Begin employment with thoughtful program design that includes outcome-oriented goals along with soft skills training that may better acclimate youth to their new work environment.
• Supervisory support for employers to identify appropriate job responsibilities and available assistance to utilize effective modes of oversight, evaluation and communication that accommodate a young person’s growth trajectory.
• Embed networking events that can lead to stronger relationships and opportunities to attain mentors and sponsors.

Youth Empowered’s work of securing employment for Romanian youth and young adults that match their potential is the kind of high-value intervention that warrants greater investments from the private sector across industries.

Case in point: Ariel Investments, an asset management firm based in Chicago, recognizes the direct correlation between education, employment and earnings. With an eye toward early development and the strong correlation between dropout rates, incarceration and life expectancy, Ariel takes the unique approach:

1. Sponsoring a Chicago Public School where they provide financial literacy and an emphasis on investing.
2. Engaging Ariel students from first grade and providing them with an actual investment portfolio to manage over eight years. As their financial insights increase, so does their decision-making authority.

In addition to this public-school partnership, Ariel collaborates with nonprofits and academic institutions to create a similarly focused career catalyst. The internship program connects students from underrepresented backgrounds to employment opportunities in the investment offices of non-profit foundations and endowments as well as at Ariel Investments. These college-level opportunities include additional training in the technical and soft skills needed to succeed in finance, as well as expansive professional networking opportunities.

The Darden School of Business’ Institute for Business in Society partners with Concordia and the U.S. Department of State Secretary’s Office of Global Partnerships to present the annual P3 Impact Award, which recognizes leading public-private partnerships that improve communities around the world. This year’s award will be presented at the Concordia Annual Summit the week of 23 September 2024. The five finalists will be highlighted on Darden Ideas to Action on Fridays leading up to the event.

This article was developed with the support of Darden’s Institute for Business in Society where Maggie Morse is director of programs.