LIFELONG LEARNING IN ROMANIAN SMES WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE SMALL SIZE ENTERPRISES

Improving lifelong learning is an important objective on Romanian and European political agenda as a result of multiple social and economic implications, given the positive influence, among other factors, on career development and employment, individual productivity and competitiveness growth of the company.

The research objective is to evaluate lifelong learning in SMEs with a special focus on small enterprises (10-49 employees). A first aspect analyzed was the dynamic of employment and economic performance of SMEs on size classes according to the number of employees, in the range of 2008-2015, making use of data from National Institute for Statistics. Other issue analyzed is lifelong training through indicators: intensity of training, financial support and the share of employees who received training in small businesses in a comparative perspective with business from other size classes. Analysis is based on data gathered through investigation, based on a questionnaire, of a number of 1,096 companies - micro, small and medium - from all branches of activity, age groups and areas of development, sample considered representative of the situation in the sector of SMEs in Romania (White Paper on SMEs in Romania) and the survey carried out by Eurofound (3rd European Company survey 2013). The paper ends with conclusions on lifelong learning in small businesses through connection with employment and economic performance.