Adult Education and Training - A Factor of Economic Development

Adult education and training is a factor of major importance for the development of the workforce, being the main instrument through which it can adapt to the new requirements of the knowledge-based economy. Improving the position on the labour market through the accumulation of new skills and abilities has a positive impact on the productivity increase of organizations and also on the market share, having as basis the rapid changes in all economic fields. At the beginning of its activity, adult vocational training in Romania was developing on a superficial and small market. Demand was dominated by the small individual consumer with low solvency, generally influenced by costs and not by quality. Romania's accession to the European Union and the adoption of European documents in the field of lifelong learning have led to a certain development of the adult vocational training market. Economic changes have highlighted the fact that training is necessary for employed persons to be competent at the workplace. This paper aims to briefly present the legislative and institutional framework in the field, to analyse the dynamics of the process of authorization of adult vocational training programs from 2004 to 31.08.2016 and also to present a critical analysis of the system of adult education and training in Romania.