Problem addressed

Romania is both the European Union country with the highest proportion of its population working in agriculture (over 20%) and among the European countries with the oldest farmers. Only 3% of farmers were under 35 in 2016, and the share of young farmers has been in permanent decline since 2010.
The number of young farmers with formal training in the field is far below the EU average. According to the SWOT analysis carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, almost 97% of farmers have only practical experience, and even among young managers of agricultural holdings (under 35), an overwhelming 89.6% have only “the school of life” in agriculture. This translates into agricultural labor productivity four times lower than the EU average.
In addition, only about 3,400 agricultural high school students in Romania participated in internships with private companies during 2020–2022, a small number compared to a total of roughly 16,000 students. The development of the professional and technical education (PTE) and dual education systems cannot be achieved without strengthening partnerships with economic agents

Innovative solution

In response to the challenges identified above, the consortium has focused its efforts on several core pillars of agricultural education in Romania. The proposed solution is an integrated set of activities designed to strengthen work-based learning (WBL) and to build a sustainable community of teachers:
• Grant competitions – both for experienced high schools (with an integrated dimension of WBL activities and the sharing of experience) and for those with fewer than 5 grants in the program.
• 4 regional meetings – to promote good WBL practices and facilitate the exchange of experience between high schools.
• Performance evaluation instrument – developed, tested, and applied to all high schools implementing WBL activities.
• Documenting good practices through at least 3 case studies.
• Practicum training courses – to develop the skills of new teachers in organizing quality practicum programs.
• Online community meetings – held every 3 months starting in the second year.
• WBL exchange experiences – a new and innovative intervention through which a high school may apply only once to address its needs in knowledge, network, or training (e.g., exchanges with similar high schools, universities, or local entrepreneurs).
• Summer school for teachers

 
The central sustainability element is the development of a community of practice among agricultural high school teachers, intended to become a common voice for agricultural education.

Key results and benefits

The key results are:
• 180 students gain relevant skills and abilities by participating in internships.
• 15 practicum programs implemented by high schools.
• 45 practicum partnerships established between high schools and local agribusinesses.
• 300 students increase their perception and motivation regarding their future career in agriculture by participating in study visits.
• 1 evaluation instrument developed, tested, and applied across all 15 practicum projects.
• 3 best-practice case studies promoting WBL activities among agricultural high schools.
• 40 teachers develop their knowledge and skills to implement practicum activities.
• 30 high schools improve their WBL practices by benefiting from the 30 WBL exchange experiences.
• At least 80 teachers from 4 different regions interact on WBL topics during the 4 regional meetings.
• 7 online community meetings with approximately 210 participating teachers (~30 per meeting).
• 1 summer school organized by Civitas for 40 teachers

Beyond these results, the program brings broader benefits: the involvement of agribusinesses (around 24 practicum partnership agreements), indirect benefits for students’ families and the communities around the high schools, and an improved public image of agricultural high schools in Romania.
The figures above highlight our most recent three-year cycle; however, they are part of a 12-year legacy of spectacular results and transformative change in the sector. 

Potential for mainstreaming

Launched in 2012, the program was built on the premise that an intervention starting in 8 pilot high schools would eventually scale regionally; as of 2026, we have successfully achieved this regional expansion. Within the CEA consortium, we have taken on the responsibility of monitoring and shaping public policy in agricultural education. Over these 12 years, we have amplified the voice of agricultural schools before the authorities, seeing our initiatives integrated into national legislation—most notably, the formalized collaboration between the Ministry of Education (MEDU) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR). Furthermore, we are now extending our initiatives from the academic sphere to include active engagement with economic stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Because it is built in line with national and European regulations on vocational education, the program creates the conditions for its methods to be adopted more broadly across the agricultural education system.

The main avenues through which the program’s results can be mainstreamed are:
1) By building the capacity of teachers and high schools through the WBL principles developed in the program, the high schools are better equipped to absorb the funds available under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) dedicated to agricultural high schools, replicating similar processes through other funding sources.
2) The knowledge gained through the program can be applied in international contexts via VET Erasmus+ funds, adding further value to the agricultural education system and extending the reach of the model beyond Romania.
3)The community of teachers developed in this phase is intended to take over the role of motivating and inspiring teachers to implement more meaningful activities for their students. By facilitating communication among teachers, the community can become a single, common voice able to defend their interests and influence policy makers, ensuring the approach continues after RAF funding ends.
4) By supporting high schools to build more partnerships with local agribusinesses, the program lays the foundation for sustainable practicum collaborations, in which resources such as transportation and materials can be shared between the school and the practicum partners.