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EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Distribution of responsibilities

Romania

8.Adult education and training

8.1Distribution of responsibilities

Last update: 27 November 2023

The state carries out its responsibilities in the area of lifelong learning through the Ministry of National Education, the Parliament, the Government, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and the Elderly, the Ministry of Culture and National Patrimony, the Ministry of Health, as well as the Ministry of Administration and the Interior.

The Law 167/2013 that changes and completes the Government Decision 129/2000 on adult training states that adult training ending with a certificate of qualification or a certificate of completion with national recognition and/or a certificate of professional competence is an activity of general interest and a part of the national education and training system.

Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research

The Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research has the following responsibilities:

  • developing strategies and national policies in the field of education and training 
  • drafting regulations on the organization and functioning of the education system in Romania
  • monitoring, evaluation and control, directly or through competent bodies of the education system and the functioning of the education providers
  • establishing mechanisms and methodologies for validation and recognition of learning outcomes
  • develops, with the Ministry of Culture, the education policies of non-professional adult learning
  • other tasks, as they appear specified in the legislation for education and training.

The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection  and Elderly

The Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Protection and Elderly  has the following responsibilities:

  • drafting, together with the Ministry of National Education, the policies and national strategies for the training of adults
  • regulates training at work and apprenticeship training in the workplace
  • monitoring, evaluation, accreditation and direct control or through authorized bodies, of the training providers others than those in the national education system
  • other responsibilities foreseen in the legislation for education and training provided by the legislation on education and training.

The Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Protection and Elderly coordinates and controls the authorization of the adult vocational training providers, manages the national registers of the adult vocational training providers, as well as the regulation of the quality assurance system in the adult training.

The Ministry of Culture

The Ministry of Culture has the following responsibilities:

  • stimulating the increase of access and public participation in cultural activities
  • proposes and promotes partnerships with local authorities and civil society structures, in order to diversify, modernize and optimize the public services provided by institutions and cultural establishments to meet the educational and cultural needs of the public
  • promotes the recognition of professional skills, respectively guarantees the rights and interests of authors, artists and cultural professionals
  • other responsibilities provided by the legislation on education and training.

Ministries and central authorities may have responsibilities in the field of education and training for the professions regulated by special laws.

The continuous training of personnel from public defence, public order and national security institutions is regulated, within the meaning of the National Education Law, by their own orders and instructions issued by their leaders.

The National Qualifications Authority

The National Qualifications Authority has the following responsibilities starting with the school year 2017 - 2018:

a) elaborates, implements and updates the National Qualifications Framework and the National Qualifications Register based on the correlation with the European Qualifications Framework

b) proposes to the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research elements of national policies and strategies, normative acts regarding the national system of qualifications and the development of human resources

c) coordinates and controls at national level the elaboration of occupational standards and professional training standards

d) participates in the elaboration of plans or programs of national interest in the field of qualifications and professional training of adults

e) submit to the sectoral committees, for the purpose of validation, the occupational standards elaborated on the basis of the methodology approved by common order of the minister of national education and scientific research and of the minister of labour, family, social protection and the elderly

f) coordinates the authorization of the centres of evaluation of the professional competences obtained in non-formal and informal system and manages the national register of the centres of evaluation of the professional competences.

The Community Centres for Lifelong Learning

The Community Centres for Lifelong Learning have the role of implementing the lifelong learning policies and strategies at local level. They operate on the basis of the Methodology for accreditation, periodic evaluation, organization and functioning of the community centers for lifelong learning, approved by GD no. 598/2017.

The responsibilities of the centres are the following:

  • to carry out studies and analysis on the need for education and training at local level
  • develop local plans for action in the field of lifelong learning
  • provide educational services for children, youth and adults by:
    • implementing remedial programs to acquire or completing key skills, including educational programs such as "Second Chance" or "Priority Education Zones" for young people and adults who have left the education system early or who do not have a professional qualification
    • programs for the validation of non-formal and informal learning
    • professional skills development programs for training / retraining, vocational retraining, improvement, specialization and professional initiation
    • entrepreneurial education programmes
    • development programmes for leisure or personal development
    • organizing activities to promote participation to lifelong learning of all community members
  • provides information, guidance and advice on:
    • access to education and training programs
    • validation of non-formal and informal learning outcomes
    • preparing for entering the labour market
  • provides evaluation and certification of non-formal and informal learning outcomes
  • ensures the access of community members to modern information and communication technologies
  • promotes partnerships with business
  • implements instruments developed at European level, Youthpass and Europass, the Language Passport and the lifelong learning portfolio
  • manages information on the participation of beneficiaries in the services provided by them.