Counselling for 300 children in Romania

Project Report | May 22, 2026
235 Young People, Brighter Futures

By Gabriela Andronache | Project Leader

In the past months, thanks to your support, over 235 young people across Romania have taken meaningful steps toward their future.

For many of them, the journey started with questions: What am I good at? What career suits me? What opportunities exist beyond school? Through the Steps Toward the Future initiative, these questions began to find answers.

In March 2026, 40 high school students aged 17–18 from Traian Vuia Technical College in Oradea stepped into a real working environment for the first time through a job shadowing experience at Teknia Oradea, a company specialized in automotive components. For these students, observing daily operations and interacting with professionals transformed abstract career ideas into something tangible. It was not just a visit—it was a glimpse into their possible future.

At the same time, over 180 younger students aged 13–14 from Gura Humorului and surrounding communities took part in vocational guidance and testing sessions. Across multiple schools, they engaged in structured sessions designed to help them better understand their skills, interests, and emotions. Through a combination of introductory workshops, vocational assessments, and followup sessions focused on interpreting results and managing emotions, these young learners gained clarity and confidence at a crucial stage of their development.

The momentum continued in April 2026, when another group of 14 students from Traian Vuia Technical College participated in vocational guidance sessions. Building on previous activities, these sessions further supported their decision-making process as they prepare for life after graduation.

Across all activities, one thing became clear: when young people are given the right tools and support, they begin to see opportunities where previously there was uncertainty.

Your contribution is helping them move forward—step by step—toward a future they can actively shape.

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Jan 28, 2026
The courage to step toward tomorrow

By Gabriela Popescu | Project Leader

In Romania’s rural and industrial towns, the transition from school to adulthood can feel like standing at the edge of a foggy road. You know there must be a path ahead, but you cannot see where it leads. For many teenagers, especially those from disadvantaged families, this uncertainty shapes their lives long before they reach their final school year.

This is where Pasi spre Viitor – Steps Toward the Future began: as an effort to bring clarity, confidence, and direction to young people who have rarely been asked the question:
“What do you dream of becoming?”

October 2025: A National Launch, and a Promise to 200 Students

In October 2025, we launched Pasi spre Viitor at the national level—an initiative made possible through the strong partnership between Colegiul Tehnic Traian Vuia Oradea and the generous support of Teknia Oradea.

For the first time, 200 students aged 15 to 19 received the promise of structured career orientation, counselling, and vocational assessment. For forty of them, the program will go even further: in spring 2026, they will step inside Teknia Oradea for a real jobshadowing experience, seeing with their own eyes what a future workplace can look like.

It is difficult to overstate what this means for youth whose worlds have often been defined by limitations rather than possibilities.

Meet Andrei – A Student Searching for His Path

Andrei is 17. He comes from a neighborhood where most young people leave school early or learn a trade they never truly chose. He once told us, quietly:

“I don’t know what I’m good at. I don’t know what to choose. I’m afraid to choose wrong.”

Andrei is not alone.
His fear is shared by thousands of Romanian teenagers whose futures depend more on chance than guidance.

When his class participated in the first round of vocational testing, something changed. For the first time, he saw his skills reflected back at him—not as weaknesses, but as potential. His results showed that he had strong mechanical intuition, patience, and problemsolving skills.
The counsellor looked at him and said:

“You have what it takes to build or fix things. You could become a technician, an engineer, or a specialist. Your future doesn’t have to be a guess.”

Andrei smiled—not because he suddenly knew everything, but because he was no longer in the dark.

The First Month of Vocational Assessments

During the first month of implementation, 72 students aged 17–18 completed vocational testing. They came from a wide range of professional fields:

auto mechanics
culinary arts
machine operators
electricians
hospitality and tourism workers
metal workers
hairdressers, barbers, manicurists, beauticians

Their results revealed a reality common across Romania:

22 students are already studying in fields that match their vocational profile
21 students are in partially aligned fields
29 students are studying in fields completely opposite to their natural abilities

This means that nearly half the students may enter careers that do not fit them—simply because they never received proper guidance.

Career counselling doesn’t just change educational outcomes;
it prevents lost years, lost earnings, and lost confidence.

Why Career Guidance Matters in Romania Today

The transition from school to work is no longer linear.
The labour market is shifting.
Technical fields are evolving.
And young people from disadvantaged communities are at the highest risk of being left behind.

Career guidance offers:

clarity in a world full of noise
selfknowledge, which many students are never encouraged to develop
motivation, because people thrive when they understand their strengths
direction, which prevents dropout and unemployment
equal opportunities, especially for youth with limited family support

Every counselling session and vocational test becomes a compass—one that can redirect a young person’s life.

Partnerships That Build Futures

Our partnership with Teknia Oradea is more than financial—it is transformational.
For many students, Teknia represents the first real connection to a workplace that:

welcomes them
mentors them
shows them what professionalism looks like
values their potential

When 40 students walk into Teknia for jobshadowing in spring 2026, they will not just be observing work.
They will be stepping into their possible futures.

Looking Ahead

As we continue the Counselling for 300 Children in Romania project, our goal remains unwavering:
to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has the guidance, support, and confidence needed to shape their future intentionally—not accidentally.

For youth like Andrei, career counselling is not a luxury.
It is the bridge between who they are and who they can become.

Your support helps us keep that bridge standing.

Links:

https://agerpres.ro/comunicate/2025/10/23/comunicat-de-presa---fundatia-te-aud-romania--1496232

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Sep 25, 2025
Strategic Shift in Career Guidance

By Gabriela Popescu | Project Leader

Dear supporter,

As we look toward the future, Te Aud Romania is reorienting its strategy in the area of career guidance. We are shifting from direct service delivery to a broader, more sustainable approach: building the capacity of schools across Romania. Our vision is bold yet essential—to ensure that every school in the country is equipped with the tools and instruments necessary to guide students toward meaningful, informed career paths.

Career guidance is not simply about helping students choose a profession. It is about empowering young people to understand themselves, recognize their strengths, and explore the opportunities available to them. In today’s rapidly evolving world, where the job market is constantly changing and traditional career paths are being redefined, students need structured support to navigate their futures with confidence and clarity.

Unfortunately, most schools in Romania lack the resources and tools to offer effective career counseling. This gap leaves many students—especially those in rural or underserved areas—without the guidance they need to make informed decisions about their education and future. By investing directly in schools, we aim to democratize access to career guidance, making it a standard and accessible part of every child’s educational journey.

To achieve this, we will implement our strategy in phases, beginning with a pilot initiative that targets both high schools and middle schools (scoli gimnaziale). In the first stage, we aim to equip at least one high school and one middle school in each of Romania’s 41 counties, resulting in a total of 82 projects. Each project will be supported with a budget of €7,000, bringing the total budget for this initial phase to €574,000.

Each school involved in the pilot will receive vocational testing instruments, career guidance tools and resources, training for school staff, and a monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure impact and sustainability. This foundational phase will allow us to test, refine, and scale the model, ensuring it is adaptable to both urban and rural contexts.

Our long-term vision is to expand this initiative to every school in Romania, creating a national network of career-ready institutions. By embedding career guidance into the fabric of the educational system, we aim to reduce school dropout rates, increase student motivation and engagement, improve alignment between education and labor market needs, and foster self-awareness and informed decision-making among youth.

This strategic shift is not just a change in direction—it is a commitment to systemic transformation. By building the capacity of schools, we are investing in the future of Romania’s children, ensuring that no student is left without guidance, support, or opportunity.

We invite partners, educators, and policymakers to join us in this journey. Together, we can build a future where every child in Romania has the tools to dream, decide, and succeed.

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