1. Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania – http://www.upt.ro
The Politehnica University of Timisoara is by far the most relevant research institution from Banat area and one of the most important in Romania. In more than 80 years of existence, the university academic staff and researchers developed and implemented thousands of research projects funded through various research and development programs, such as: EU-IPA, FP5 – 7, HORIZON 2020, CEEX, PNCD, NASA, UEFISCDI. The innovative capacity of the university is supported by teachers and scientific researchers through patents invented and involvement in society’s need for development. Strengthening the cross border cooperation in Banat region, regional environmental protection and contribution to the development and increase visibility of regional scientific research in the area is a mission and opportunity for Politehnica University of Timisoara. UPT has experience in implementin innovative counseling activities, as result of the strategic project POSDRU ID 48816 (during 2010-2013) with a target group of 1995 counseled students and a rate of 75% of employability. During 2013-2016, several projects at national level, involving career guidance, internships were implemented (POSDRU ID 156607, 132889 and 156555). During 2014-2016, UPT has been involved as partner, in projects at national level (POSDRU ID 125723, ID134003), involving career guidance, developing competences for a target group of 10000 unemployed people. RORS (INTERREG IPA I), MIS-ETC 1379, Cross-border access infrastructure to high-level education through web-cast – EduWebCast. Cross border academic development of an image-based recommendation system for regional educational purposes MobileAssistant (2012-2013). Comparative study regarding the training needs for development of entrepreneurial competences in the context of E.U. post – integration (2010-2012).
2. School Center „Nikola Tesla“ (SCNT) – http://www.teslavs.edu.rs
Secondary education center deals with the education of personnel in technical sciences, mechanical and electrical engineering, where IT technologies are significant; it also educates economic technicians, where domains of entrepreneurship and management are essential. The school organizes practical teaching in some companies for a small number of subjects, has one CNC machine and understands the importance of practical work for the quality of students’ knowledge, because new companies ask it for recommendations before hiring young people to work on sophisticated machines and they are also interested in additional training for their employees. The school has also organized, in cooperation with NGOs in the framework of the USAID programme, “Business Challenge” competition for 3 years. More than 50 teams with 150 students took part in these competitions, and its students participated in the “final competitions“ where they won. The school has realized the importance of creative work and promotion of knowledge and skills of young people, and has positive results in teaching, as well as in the knowledge gained during these competitions. The requests and suggestions of the local economy have been recognized and accepted the fields that need to be amended in the education of young people, and it is aware that it can be done through methods of informal further education in cooperation with institutions of higher education, with permanent improvement of knowledge of school lecturers as well as students, by creating and institutionalizing of the place, organization and method of implementing all of this. The school was partner in the project „Guiding pupils through successful cross – border careers MIS – ETC code IPA 1341“, implemented in 2016. The project objectives consisted in counseling for cross-border business career at secondary education level; formation of future cross-border managers by creating their own simulated firms.