Education, workforce integration, and social inclusion: how does Romania compare with the European Union?

Alexandru Marian Petrisor Tanase (), Emilia Titan () and Iliana Caragea ()
Additional contact information
Alexandru Marian Petrisor Tanase: Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania
Emilia Titan: Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania
Iliana Caragea: Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania

CACTUS - The Tourism Journal for Research, Education, Culture and Soul, 2025, vol. 32, issue 1

Abstract: Education and workforce integration are essential in the 21st century, particularly in discussions of sustainable economic growth and social cohesion. Furthermore, synergy between academic outcomes and labour market demands is crucial for fostering innovation, reducing unemployment, and maintaining competitiveness in the current economic landscape. Proper allocation of resources within the educational system not only enhances skill development but also improves the workforce’s ability to adapt rapidly to technological advancements. This paper examines the performance of European Union countries in a single year within this sector, using seven key variables related to education and the workforce. Principal Component Analysis was conducted to reduce dimensionality and identify three main components that summarise the variance observed in the data. The findings reveal considerable differences among EU countries regarding the coordination between education and workforce demands, largely due to inconsistent investment in education. Additionally, based on the three main components identified, cluster analysis was performed, revealing distinct groups of countries with similar outcomes, including high-performing countries with well-integrated education and employment systems, and low-performing countries where poor resource allocation has limited employment adaptability and economic engagement. Overall, the evidence highlights the importance of policies that reduce disparities, promote talent development, and strengthen the link between education and workforce demands, ensuring that future challenges are met with resilience and prosperity.

Keywords: tertiary education; school dropout; youth employment; social exclusion; workforce integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I25 I26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://cactus-journal-of-tourism.ase.ro/wp-conten ... I.1-Tanase-et-al.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bum:cactus:cactus-2025-12

Access Statistics for this article

CACTUS - The Tourism Journal for Research, Education, Culture and Soul is currently edited by CACTUS Editorial Team

More articles in CACTUS - The Tourism Journal for Research, Education, Culture and Soul from Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CACTUS Editorial Team ().