Building human resources in Romania: practices and opportunities.
Tomuletiu, Adriana ; Oroian, Maria ; Op Lupu, Anca 等
1. INTRODUCTION
A priority objective of socio-economic development in the current
Romanian and European context, as it emerges from a series of national
and international documents, is the investment in human capital. This
objective is stipulated both in the Lisbon Strategy (Commission of the
European Communities, 2005), and in the National Development Plan of
Romania 2007-2013 which states as a priority "The development of
human resources, increase in employment and combat of social
exclusion" (Government of Romania, 2005).
Europe has moved to a knowledge-based economy and society, in which
access to information and knowledge, together with the motivation and
ability to use them intelligently become keys to strengthening the
competitiveness of Europe, improving the level of employment of the
human capital and its degree of adaptability (Cimpean, 2006).
Human resources development and promotion of human capital by
increasing adaptability and acquiring special skills required in the
workplace are requirements arising from changes that are taking place
very quickly. This is partly due to the industrial revolution in the
present society which is governed by new means of communication and
biotechnology with a strong impact on the economic and cultural
relationships, on people's life style, and especially on the
working environment. More investments in human resources represent, for
our ongoing integration into the European Union society, the key for
adaptability to the structural changes on the labour market, and also
reduce the gap that exists between Romania and the other EU developed
countries, regarding the level of development of human capital.
2. INFORMATION
A series of studies conducted at several organizations show that
Romania is facing low investment in continuous professional training
(Chisu, 2007; Sandi & Moarcas, 2007). Many companies perceive
training more as an expense rather than an investment, which triggers a
large competency deficit on the work force market. On the background of
the stringent need for coverage of this deficit, for the development of
human capital and increase of its competitiveness in the labour market,
the European Union will give Romania grants of 3.47 billion euros by
2013. The aim will be to promote equal opportunities regarding lifelong
learning and the development of a modern, flexible and attractive labour
market, which would lead by 2015, to a sustainable integration of
900,000 people into the labour market (Ministry of Labor, Social
Solidarity and Family, 2006).
Funds will be allocated on 7 priority axes, namely:
* Axis I. "Education and training in support of growth and
development of knowledge-based society"--797 million euros.
* Axis II. "Connecting learning with the labour
market"--911 million euros.
* Axis III. "Increasing the adaptability of the workforce and
companies--450 million euros.
* Axis IV. "The modernization of public service
employment"--176 million euros.
* Axis V. "Promoting active employment measures"--476
million euros.
* Axis VI. "Promoting social inclusion"--524 million
euros
* Axis VII. "Technical assistance"--139 million euros. EU
Grants Funds for the development of human resources will be granted for
the following types of investments:
* Organizing seminars for training employees in order to increase
the adaptability to advanced technologies.
* Preparation of awareness campaigns regarding corporate social
responsibility and programmes designed to transform undeclared labour
into legal employment.
* Implementation of programs and support services for the
development of entrepreneurial culture, and for starting a business.
* Development and promotion of modern managerial skills, especially
for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Such funds can be accessed by schools, universities and research
centers, accredited training suppliers, chambers of commerce and
industry, trade unions and employers unions, micro, small and
medium-sized enterprises.
The best-known program of financing by European Union funds so far
is the PHARE program--the first non-refundable financial instrument
designed by the European Union to support Central and Eastern Europe in
the progress towards a democratic society and a free market economy.
Phare program--Economic and Social Cohesion--Development of Human
Resources--Promoting Human Capital has aimed, years in a row, at
investing in human resources so that they would become more adaptable to
structural changes in the labour market, but also at reducing the
competency deficit found between the work force from Romania and the one
from European Union.
One of the local initiatives to meet the needs for continuous
training of human resources is the project called Center for Training
and Development of Human Resources. The project was won at regional
level by an average size manufacturing company from Tirgu-Mures, in
partnership with People's University of Tirgu-Mures (as a training
adults provider), being funded by the European Union and the Government
of Romania, entered in the Ministry of European Integration program--Economic and Social Cohesion, Human Resource Development,
Promoting Human Capital, the Phare budget line /2003/005-551.05.03.02.
The aim of this project was the development of an overall service
training for staff of the company and the initiation of a consultancy
providing network for promoting best practices in human resources for
other similar companies and beyond.
Project activities were justified by the needs identified in the
organization and in other similar organizations:
* The need to carry out a professional selection for hiring
specialized human resources most appropriate to the job description.
* The imperative need to correlate the demand on the market labour
with an appropriate training offer.
* The need to develop professional skills in order to avoid
redundancies and fluctuation of the work force.
Thus, this centre has been implemented within the organization
which was equipped with advanced training materials, appropriate
furniture, library, licenses for batteries of psychological evaluation
and selection of personnel tests, all with the support of the granted
funds.
The basic activities of the project focused on providing training
programmes which included not only specialized courses, but also courses
for the development of social competencies, courses based on a
curriculum appropriate to each course session, as follows:
* Efficient communication and organizational interrelation courses
addressed to all employees, with the purpose of ensuring efficient
circulation of information at all company levels, and of preventing work
conflicts.
* PC training courses for those lacking such competences and IT
systems implementation courses inside the company.
* Leadership and diversity management courses addresses to the
staff
in leading positions, in order to create premises for a more
efficient cooperation between them and their subordinates.
The assessment of staff with the acquired psychological tests was
designed to identify any inconsistencies of the characteristics
identified with the existing job profile and vocational shifting, where
appropriate. Also, psychological testing aimed at the development of a
more efficient professional selection, leading to the hiring of the most
suitable people for the positions in the organization, in agreement with
the profiles of those positions, so that in the future this would
contribute to reducing staff fluctuation, at least on an average
duration of time.
A national conference with the participation of specialists in the
human resources, communication and leadership fields was also organized
as part of the project, with the aim of promoting it and its results.
The results were disseminated through the media, but also through a
conference volume.
The project activities have had a major impact on employees whom
had never before benefited from training programmes, although this is
specified in the law, and is an educational imperative of the new era of
knowledge. Through the courses the target group situation has improved,
not only in terms of cognitive or social skills, but also in financial
terms, because employees have become able to respond more effectively to
professional activities. Indirectly, the work motivation has increased,
the communicational environment within the organization has improved,
which resulted in a more sustained and interested participation in all
business activities.
The training had a direct impact on adults who have become aware of
the need to continuously develop social and professional skills to be
able to deal with the structural changes that occur almost overnight.
The project also resulted indirectly in positive consequences on
the quality of family life. Those who have benefited from the advantages
of the project and have made at the same time, efforts in this
direction, have increased their chances of reintegration into the labour
market in crisis situations and also their career promotion chances;
they became more flexible and open to change and to the need for
development and permanent training. The direct beneficiaries have also
acquired a sense of social security as a result of increasing confidence
in their ability to cope with all requests of the socio-economic life.
All measures developed by us by means of this project have been
designed to contribute to improving the quality of human resources
working in this company, measures and practices that will have positive
consequences for the long-term, by lowering unemployment and staff
fluctuation and also by improving communication and
interpersonal/intergroups relations as a direct consequence of a change
of attitude. As a result of access to lifelong learning at work, the
foundations will be set for the quality development of people's
life, for economic performance criteria within companies, elements that
will lead to social-economical development of the community.
3. CONCLUSION
The findings of this project as well as the elements we have
decoded during its implementation have determined us to become
supporters of professional training, by carrying out professional
qualification and re-qualification programs. We would like to conclude,
by emphasizing the fact that Romanian organizations of all types should
become increasingly aware of the importance of granting credit to
factors interrelated to human resources development and continuous
professional training, with the purpose of increasing performance and
economic competitiveness. Thus, small and large-sized Romanian
entrepreneurs, and not only them, should become increasingly preoccupied
with the people that are directly responsible for production activity,
that is, their own staff.
Our theoretical and practical approach is intended as an example,
from which one can learn, one can reflect upon and which can be
developed into research at a much higher scale.
4. REFERENCES
Chisu, V. (2007). Educational Marketing. Development and
Integration Strategies for Romanian Educational Services in the Context
of the Labour Market and Economic Globalization, Available from:
http://www.biblioteca.ase.ro/downres.php?tc=9020 Accessed: 2008-08-10
Cimpean, E.A. (2006). The Lifelong Learning--Significations and
Content, pp. 15, University Press Publishing House, ISBN (10)973-7665-37-6, ISBN (13)978973-7665-37-9, Tirgu-MureS
Commission of the European Communities (2005), Communication to the
Spring European Council. Working Together for Growth and Jobs. A New
Start for the Lisbon Strategy, pp. 26-28, Available from:
http://eurlex.europa.eu/lexuriserv/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0024e
n01.pdf Accessed: 2008-07-30
Government of Romania (2005). The National Plan of Development,
2007-2013, Available from:
http://eufinantare.info/Documente/Sinteza_PND2007_2013 .pdf Accessed:
2008-08-25
Ministry of Labor, Social Solidarity and Family (2006). Human
Resources Development Divisional Operational Program 2007-2013,
Available from: http://www.mmssf.ro/website/ro/autoritate/200406pdsdru.p
df Accessed: 2008-08-11
Sandi, A. M. & Moarcas, M. (2007). Romania Education Policy
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http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTROMANIA/Resourc
es/EducationPolicyNote.pdf Accessed: 2008-09-15
