Romania: Andrea Filip

?Social enterprise is the best tool that we have to control immigration, bith in Bucharest and in Rome?. Andrea Filip, 27 years old, speaks from her personal experience: in 2002, during her economicsUniversity studies at the West University of Timisoara, she founded an NGO, the Career Development Centre, that in only five years has helped over 20thousand young people to build a career and future in Romania. Without having to emigrate. And without having to accept, for fear of unemployment, the first job they are offered. Andrea highlights that today in Romania less than 1% of the population is unemployed. ?Only those who don?t want to work don?t find work these days? she says.

The secret of Andrea?s success? ?A Career Book, that is now in its fourth edition and accessible online at www.careerbook.ro, full of useful tips on how to approach an interview, how to become entrepreneurs, how to turn volunteer experience into social enterprise and how to find an internship during university?. Andrea works from her office on West Univesity?s campus. ?To be honest?, she adds, ?I have seen that young people are the real resource that will fight the problem of youth emigration?. This is the approach that Andrea suggests Italy should take to deal with the Roma question. ?Consider them a resource and as part of the solution to the problem they represent: get the non profit sector to act and involve the Roma in the search for solutions?.

It was an Italian manager, Gianluca Testa, who explained to Andrea how important it is to support people?s initiatives. ?Testa was one of the first foreigners to invest in our NGO and he explained to us that in the North of Italy big business have been, for a long time, encouraging qualified personnel to set up specialized micro-businesses. Your government should teach our government how to replicate the experience.?

Social enterprise, however, is Andrea?s real solution for Romanian youth. ?Young people don?t just think about business. We tend to be idealistic as well and we genuinely want to improve things and we rise to the challenge of having to change things with few resources.? Any examples? ?Habitat for Humanity? she answers, ?is to us a great inspiration?. Us. Because since last year the Career Development Centre has opened its second office in the university of ClujNapoca and has become an NGO that creates employment.

?Depending on the time of year there are about 6 young people working with me on various projects and in the moments of most workload up to 26 volunteers help us out while gaining work experience for their cv?s?. That?s not all though. Andrea and her colleagues also operate as recruiters for large companies seeking young employees, including Roma people.

Find out more:www.careercenter.ro