Strengthening Employment Pathways for Ukrainian Refugees: Key Insights from the Romania Workshop
13 February 2026
As part of the SMART UA project, partner countries organised national workshops to reflect on key barriers and solutions related to housing and employment for Ukrainian refugees. These workshops brought together researchers, practitioners, civil society organisations and public institutions to connect evidence with practice and inform the next phases of project implementation.
In this context, a national workshop held in Romania brought together a wide range of stakeholders to reflect on how employment pathways for Ukrainian refugees can be strengthened through coordinated and evidence-based approaches.
The workshop created a space to connect research findings with field experience. Insights emerging from national research helped participants develop a shared understanding of existing employment support mechanisms, labour market dynamics, and the interaction between refugees’ skills and labour demand. This evidence-based discussion highlighted how structural and systemic factors shape access to employment.
Discussions confirmed that barriers such as language limitations, administrative complexity, discrimination, and difficulties in the recognition of qualifications continue to affect access to stable employment, particularly for women with care responsibilities. Participants stressed that these challenges require coordinated responses involving public institutions, employers and civil society organisations.
At the same time, the exchange highlighted practical and promising approaches. Participants shared experiences related to individualised employment counselling, partnerships with employers, skills assessment tools and targeted support for more vulnerable profiles. These practices illustrated how tailored interventions can improve labour market inclusion when embedded in supportive institutional frameworks.
Interactive group sessions played a central role in translating evidence into action. Through the exchange of concrete field experiences and case-based discussions, participants jointly reflected on policy-relevant recommendations aimed at strengthening predictable, coordinated and sustainable employment pathways for Ukrainian refugees in Romania.
The participation of JRS Europe reinforced the transnational dimension of SMART UA, ensuring that lessons emerging from the Romanian context can inform peer learning and implementation across partner countries.