Hands across Romania (HAR) - https://www.unicreditfoundation.org/en/education-support/grassroots-initiatives/hands-across-romania-har-

Hands Across Romania (HAR) is a nonprofit organisation based in Bucharest, engaged in educational, social, and cultural initiatives aimed at promoting social responsibility and sustainable development.

It supports some of the most vulnerable communities – particularly young people, displaced persons, and migrants – through an integrated approach that combines education, labor inclusion, and advocacy.

Its core activities include: educational programs for disadvantaged youth; pathways for social integration and job placement, including vocational training and career guidance; advocacy actions to promote inclusive policies and entrepreneurial opportunities; and strategic partnerships with companies and local institutions to ensure fair working conditions and stable employment.

Thanks to its experience, HAR has made a significant contribution to improving access to the labour market and advancing the economic inclusion of disadvantaged groups.

Hands Across Romania (HAR) is a nonprofit organisation based in Bucharest, engaged in educational, social, and cultural initiatives aimed at promoting social responsibility and sustainable development.

It supports some of the most vulnerable communities – particularly young people, displaced persons, and migrants – through an integrated approach that combines education, labor inclusion, and advocacy.

Its core activities include: educational programs for disadvantaged youth; pathways for social integration and job placement, including vocational training and career guidance; advocacy actions to promote inclusive policies and entrepreneurial opportunities; and strategic partnerships with companies and local institutions to ensure fair working conditions and stable employment.

Thanks to its experience, HAR has made a significant contribution to improving access to the labour market and advancing the economic inclusion of disadvantaged groups.

Profession – Towards the Vision of My Future

The programme supported by UniCredit Foundation in 2022: objectives and results

In 2022, within the first Call for Education, UniCredit Foundation supported the program “Profession – Towards the Vision of My Future”, aimed at promoting access to education and dual vocational training for students from vulnerable backgrounds.

The project targeted young people aged 13 to 18 – particularly students in their final year of lower secondary school (8th grade)—living in rural and peri-urban areas of Romania (including Bucharest-Ilfov, Iași, Constanța, Călărași, Ialomița, Dâmbovița, Vaslui, Bacău, and Suceava), which are characterised by a high risk of school dropout. Through awareness campaigns, guidance for students and families, teacher training, and direct involvement of companies, the program promoted a multidimensional approach addressing both economic and social barriers.

Completed in December 2025, the program delivered significant results:

9,443 students and 4,720 parents reached
481 teachers and counselors trained
creation of 6 new dual VET classes
collaboration with 78 companies and institutions
410 students enrolled in vocational pathways

At the systemic level, advocacy activities contributed to the introduction of “Careers Week” in the national curriculum and to the signing of a formal agreement with the Ministry of Education, strengthening the initiative’s structural impact.

Profession – Towards the Vision of My Future

The programme supported by UniCredit Foundation in 2022: objectives and results

In 2022, within the first Call for Education, UniCredit Foundation supported the program “Profession – Towards the Vision of My Future”, aimed at promoting access to education and dual vocational training for students from vulnerable backgrounds.

The project targeted young people aged 13 to 18 – particularly students in their final year of lower secondary school (8th grade)—living in rural and peri-urban areas of Romania (including Bucharest-Ilfov, Iași, Constanța, Călărași, Ialomița, Dâmbovița, Vaslui, Bacău, and Suceava), which are characterised by a high risk of school dropout. Through awareness campaigns, guidance for students and families, teacher training, and direct involvement of companies, the program promoted a multidimensional approach addressing both economic and social barriers.

Completed in December 2025, the program delivered significant results:

9,443 students and 4,720 parents reached
481 teachers and counselors trained
creation of 6 new dual VET classes
collaboration with 78 companies and institutions
410 students enrolled in vocational pathways

At the systemic level, advocacy activities contributed to the introduction of “Careers Week” in the national curriculum and to the signing of a formal agreement with the Ministry of Education, strengthening the initiative’s structural impact.

The new program: TRACE and the Trust-based Invitation initiative

In 2026, UniCredit Foundation renewed its support to HAR through the Trust-based Invitation initiative, which aims not only to ensure continuity of interventions addressing educational poverty, but also to build long-term, trust-based relationships, strengthening partner organisations and their capacity to generate sustainable impact.

In this context, the multi-year programme TRACE – Transition, Resilience, and Informed Choices in Education has been launched, with the goal of preventing early school dropout and reducing inequalities in access to the labor market for lower and upper secondary school students in three regions of Romania (North-East, South-East, and Centre), with a particular focus on the most vulnerable areas.

TRACE is developed within the framework of the national reform of dual vocational education introduced by the new education law (end of 2025), which redefines governance, collaboration with companies, and work-based learning pathways. The programme adopts an integrated approach, engaging students, parents, teachers, and employers to strengthen informed educational and career choices and support the school-to-work transition.

Key distinguishing elements include:

development of a digital platform for school and career guidance aimed at preventing dropout;
promotion of “green” professions and sustainability-related skills aligned with labor market needs;
organisation of the Annual Innovation and Performance Gala in Dual Education, a national-level event to share and showcase best practices;
capacity-building activities to strengthen HAR’s role and ensure scalability and sustainability of results.

Overall, TRACE strengthens and expands the impact of previous programmes, contributing to a more inclusive, forward-looking education system aligned with labor market needs.