6 girls from Craiova, Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Timișoara, and Iași are among the best young Fiber Optic Jointers in Romania

• 75 students, including 14 girls, participated in the local phase of the WorldSkills Fiber Optic Jointers Competition.

• 6 out of the 14 girls were among the winners in the local phases held in Craiova, Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Timișoara, and Iași.

• The local phase took place from February 8 to 22 in the 10 telecommunications high schools of the Experts and Centers of Excellence in Telecommunications network. The competition tasks were exclusively practical, based on industry work assignments.

• The national final of the competition will be held in Cluj-Napoca at the Technical College of Communications “Augustin Maior” on May 21, 2024. The winner will represent Romania in September at the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 International Skills Olympiad in the Information Network Cabling section.

From February 8 to 22, 2024, Romania hosted the first-ever local phase of the WorldSkills Fiber Optic Jointers Competition. The competition took place in 10 telecommunications high schools across the country. This competition was organized by the Romanian Fiber Optic Association and the WorldSkills Romania Foundation in partnership with CNDIPT, within the ECERT project – Experts and Centers of Excellence in Telecommunications, a private project started in December 2022.

In this local phase of the competition, 75 students participated, including 14 girls, which is 19% of the participants. It is interesting to note that 6 out of the 14 girls were among the winners in the local phases in Craiova (1st place), Cluj-Napoca (1st and 2nd places), Bucharest (2nd place), Timișoara (2nd place), and Iași (3rd place). These results confirm that, although less than 3% of the industry’s workforce is female, the Fiber Optic Jointer profession can be practiced very successfully by women. It suggests that more and more girls will soon choose this field.

The successful execution of the local phase of the competition was contributed to by: • Over 30 industry companies, providing practical training for students and supplying schools with equipment and consumables. • 30 industry specialists, representing 21 companies, as members of the jury. • 20 specialized teachers and directors of the 10 schools involved in the Experts and Centers of Excellence in Telecommunications project.

What follows after this local phase? Each school will designate its representative among the winners of this phase, and they will participate on May 21, 2024, in Cluj-Napoca, in the national phase of the competition. The stakes are high, as the representative of Romania for the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 International Skills Olympiad in the Information Network Cabling section will be chosen from among the 3 winners.

We look forward to seeing you on May 21-22 in Cluj-Napoca, where, on May 22, during the Romanian Fiber Optic Conference 2024, the winners of the national phase of the competition will be announced and awarded. The Romanian Fiber Optic Conference 2024 is the event of the year for Fiber Optics in Romania, with the participation of all 18 members of AFOR, both companies and renowned operators from Romania and abroad.

The WorldSkills Fiber Optic Jointers Competition is officially recognized by the Ministry of Education through the National School Competition Calendar no. 24750 dated 29.01.2024, and it enjoys the support of ANISP – the National Association of Internet Service Providers in Romania, as a Silver Partner sponsor, as well as the support of over 14 companies.

About the WorldSkills Romania Foundation

The WorldSkills Romania Foundation supports professional performance among young people for personal success and the development of Romania through: • Promoting excellence in the professional field. • Providing relevant learning experiences in various professional fields. • Facilitating collaboration between various organizations involved in supporting the guidance, training, integration, and professional development of young people for better alignment between the education system and the labor market. WorldSkills Romania’s vision – every young person discovers and develops their professional potential, contributing to a better world.

WorldSkills programs and projects are implemented in Romania based on Protocol No. 15310 dated 25.10.2021, concluded between the Ministry of Education and the WorldSkills Romania Foundation.

About AFOR – the Fiber Optic Association of Romania

AFOR is a professional association whose members include companies engaged in activities related to fiber optics, operators, cable, accessories and equipment manufacturers for fiber optic transmissions, designers, consultants, service providers, developers/operators of fiber optic infrastructure, teachers, assistant professors, and other specialists working in this field. • Organizes courses for the fiber optics industry. • Coordinates the Fiber Optic Training in Europe workshop within the FTTH Council Europe and participates in conferences organized by partners: Communications Day, ECAI, Interlan, ARSCM, AREL. • Is a member of the technical committee CT 138 Optical Fibers within ASRO and communicates regularly with ANCOM, MDRAP, MCSI.

Contact:

Iulia Berende Marketing Specialist, WorldSkills Romania Tel.: 0732605138 | Email: iulia.berende@worldskills.ro

Cornel Bărbuț Vice President, AFOR – Fiber Optic Association of Romania Tel.: 0720587837 | Email: cornel@vegacomp.ro