Thanks to the partnership of the VET Center operating within the StartUp HUB and the 20 local partner companies and educational institutions 70 Hungarian students spent their internships in our county last year. The cooperation was implemented under the Erasmus+ programme. The partnership will be continued, as this year vocational school students from Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Belgium and Poland will come to the region to develop their professional competences in the companies of Sfântu Gheorghe.

On Friday, 13 January, the VET Center, the StartUp HUB Centre for Enterprise Development, Adult Education and Vocational Training, held its annual evaluation at its headquarters in Sfântu Gheorghe. Through the Erasmus+ programme, it has provided internships for foreign students in Sfântu Gheorghe, through various enterprises and vocational schools.
The event was attended by the heads of the host companies that have recently provided work placements for Hungarian students. The partner companies and schools – Modern House Kft, Arlero Kft, Olas-Service, Wieb Toys, Puskás Tivadar Vocational School, Pista Bá, Kristoteq CNC Solutions, Exopalma Prod Com., Ariadne Impex, Retext Studio, Sicla Construct, Lila Szalon, UnderCut Studio, Shine Health and Beauty Salon, IB Garage, Trans ABS Impex, Pro Info, Hamor Soft – provided training to students in various fields. Participating students gained theoretical and practical experience in construction, woodworking, metalworking, textiles, beauty care, IT, printing, car mechanics and mechanics.
The Erasmus+ programme, for the period 2021-2027, will put a strong emphasis on social inclusion, green and digital transition and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life. It also offers mobility and cooperation opportunities in higher education, sport, school education, adult education, youth and vocational training. The latter programme supports the mobility of vocational education and training students and professionals abroad for work placements, thereby improving the quality of vocational education and training across Europe.
At the event, Szilárd Kelemen, representative of the VET Center, presented the activities of the center, which focuses on vocational education and training, and their experts have experience in the successful implementation of EU mobility initiatives. Their aim is to find the best practical solutions to meet the needs of the young people involved and to give students and teachers the opportunity to practice and develop their knowledge and professional skills.
Norbert Béres, Operational Manager of VET Center, said: the internships are designed not only to provide technical knowledge in specific professional areas, but also to develop professional, personal and social skills.
Zsolt Vrabie, the creator of Pista bá, an entrepreneur from Sfântu Gheorghe, also welcomed students to his workshop and, as he said, he was pleasantly surprised by the attitude, skills and motivation of the students. He believes that in addition to transferring knowledge, it was also important to build good relationships, so in addition to woodworking, the students learned new things, started their own initiatives and gave their teachers objects of their own making. The designer, known as Uncle Churi, said that he would welcome more students to his workshop if the opportunity arose.
At the Friday event, VET Center staff awarded the representatives of the companies with certificates of recognition, followed by a standing reception and an informal discussion. It is planned to continue the partnership this year, and the VET Center is looking for applications from other companies that are open to hosting foreign students.