Brainiacs - Wanted

SMART STUDENTS EXPORTED FOR FREE

For some years now, Romania is confronted with a visible problem: many of the brightest students choose to study abroad and, eventually, do not return to their home country. This has been an issue for some time and will continue to have an impact upon our country, which has recently joined the European Union. Due to the fact that Romanian students will be allowed to pay internal university fees at the same level with the ones required for all other E.U. students (meaning lower than before), there is a high possibility for students to opt for leaving the country. In this foreseeable case, only the companies which will be able to attract and retain the skilled workforce will be the winners.

Therefore, this projects aims to raise awareness among both universities and companies in order to do their best so as to attract the proficient students. This does not necessarily imply the fact that students should not be allowed to study abroad, but the idea that, after completing their studies, they should return to their home countries and implement the gained knowledge and this would be beneficial for managers and also will help development of their native countries. This can be done by offering internship opportunities or courses more related to the actual situation on the market, courses which are both enjoyable and useful.

What is also concerning is the fact that Romania provides for the prime education (including high school) of these persons who eventually choose to leave the country and make use of their knowledge abroad. This type of investment does not lead to a return. According to a recent report from the Romanian Commercial Bank, 88 percent of young people between 18 and 24 years of age signaled that they would like to leave the country. In many cases, these are highly-qualified students employed in a lower skilled job than their qualification entitles them to. We lose educated citizens because we have failed to develop a policy that supports young labor force, accompanied by low investment. The brain-drain phenomenon deserves closer attention by the state (Birchall, 2007). The educational system caters for their education without receiving the proper feedback. Of course that this is not the case of all students, but it is the best who make the difference.

In short, what we are seeking to achieve is to depict the actual situation of the Romanian students and to analyze what can be done in order to provide benefits for both students on one side and universities and companies on the other. We understand the needs and requests of both groups and, thus, we strive to supply a solution of equilibrium. Taking into account the fact that we are also students, this paper will be completed by also considering the opinions of some colleagues who have chosen the road abroad.

THE QUALITY OF THE ROMANIAN WORKFORCE

Most of the domestic employees are pleased because they have a pool of offer to choose from, but when it comes to a specialized workforce, soon they discover the lack of specialists. And not all types of specialists, but more exactly business administration specialists and first level managers.

What the employers are looking for has been a great concern for a long time. Nicolescu (2003b) studied business owners and mangers, as beneficiaries of the business higher educational system. They were asked to rate the quality of the institutions and of their graduates. The findings showed that the principal positive qualities of the public institutions consisted of excellent theoretical knowledge, first-rate professors, seriousness and professionalism of the business higher education system, and high-quality programs enabled through rigorous entrance policies. The principal weaknesses, though, consisted of lack of practical skill programs, inadequate materials, and ignorance of actual market needs. In the assessment of the graduates of the programs of business higher education programs in Romania, the business owners and managers found that students possessed first-rate theoretical knowledge, were professional and reliable, open to new experiences, and flexible in adapting to work assignments. The single highest negative attribute of graduates was they lacked practical skills.

Another research conducted by Prejmerean and Vasilache (Prejmerean, Vasilache) has revealed the economic competences with the highest significance requested from students from a sample of 28 companies. They are the following: sales, project management, pricing and assortments policy, specificity of industrial goods