A workplace apprenticeship is a paid job, but also a qualification programme. The person works under a fixed-term individual employment contract, completes practical and theoretical training, then takes a final examination for the adult vocational qualification certificate. It is not the same as school work placement, an internship or a standard entry-level job.
In 2026, a person who has turned 16 may become an apprentice if they do not already hold a qualification for the targeted occupation and meet the education requirements for the chosen qualification level. Basic pay must be at least equal to the national gross minimum wage applicable to full-time work. Separately, the employer may request RON 2,250 per month for each apprentice from the employment agency, but this is not a bonus paid directly to the candidate and cannot replace their salary.
How apprenticeships differ from jobs, work placements and internships
The key difference is not the wording of the advertisement, but what the signed documents and training programme provide.
| Form of work | Is there an employment contract? | Is there organised qualification training? | Expected outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard job | Yes, if the employment relationship is lawful | Not necessarily | Work experience and pay |
| School work placement | By definition, it is not an individual employment contract | It is linked to the educational pathway | Applying knowledge acquired at school or university |
| Internship | It has its own legal framework; it is not automatically an individual employment contract | It does not automatically result in a vocational qualification certificate | Experience in an organisation and practical skills |
| Workplace apprenticeship | Yes, a specific type of individual employment contract | Yes, practical and theoretical training | Pay, experience and a qualification certificate after passing the examination |
Law No. 279/2005 defines an apprenticeship contract as a specific type of individual employment contract: the apprentice works under the employer’s authority, while the employer must pay a salary and provide training conditions. The rules require training to combine theory and practice, rather than simply “learning on the job” without a plan or assessment. The Law on Workplace Apprenticeships and the methodological rules approved by Government Decision No. 855/2013 are the main legal reference points.
For a comparison with other ways of starting a career, see InfoBuz’s guide to work placements, internships and jobs in 2026. In the case of an apprenticeship, however, the additional question is straightforward: is there a qualification programme, an authorised provider and a final examination?
Who can join an apprenticeship programme
The basic rule is that people aged 16 and over can access apprenticeships. They are not reserved for pupils or only for people in their first job. They are also an option for adults changing fields, people with informal experience but no recognised qualification for the trade they want to pursue, or people returning to the labour market.
The conditions are cumulative:
- the person is seeking employment, directly or through the public employment service or an accredited provider of employment services;
- they have turned 16;
- they do not hold a qualification for the occupation in which the apprenticeship is organised;
- they meet the training-entry requirements for that qualification level.
The condition concerning the absence of a qualification is checked for the occupation and field covered by the programme, rather than serving as a general bar on anyone holding any diploma. For example, a person qualified in one field may need an apprenticeship for a different occupation if they meet the programme’s requirements. By contrast, it is not a natural route to obtain public funding again for the same qualification the candidate already holds.
ANOFM also specifies an important limit: a person whose previous apprenticeship contract ended, for reasons attributable to them, after the probationary period may access a new programme only two years after that termination. Foreign nationals and stateless persons entitled to work in Romania, as well as EU/EEA citizens and their family members, may also be employed under the legal conditions. ANOFM has summarised access conditions and active funding projects in 2026.
What education is required
There is no single answer for every trade. The requirement depends on the qualification level and occupational standard. This is why a diploma or academic transcript is not merely a formality: it enables eligibility for the specific programme to be checked.
Before accepting an offer, ask the employer or AJOFM to confirm the following in writing:
- the exact name of the qualification, not just the job title;
- the qualification level;
- the authorised training provider;
- the education requirement for that programme;
- the duration of theoretical and practical training.
This check is more useful than the general question, “Is a diploma required?” A commercial description in an advertisement may conceal an occupation with specific entry requirements.
Qualification duration: from six months to three years
The minimum contract duration follows the qualification level. The employer cannot set a programme shorter than the limits below.
| Qualification level | Minimum contract duration | Minimum duration of theoretical and practical training |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 6 months | 180 hours |
| Level 2 | 12 months | 360 hours |
| Level 3 | 24 months | 720 hours |
| Level 4 | 36 months | 1,080 hours |
Theoretical training should not be treated as an activity carried out exclusively in the evening or on days off: the time needed for theory is included in normal working hours. For adults, working time is generally no more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. For young people aged up to 18, the limit is 6 hours a day and 30 hours a week. A probationary period may apply, but it cannot exceed 30 working days.
For more career information, see E-learning for foreign languages: when an app is enough and when you need real conversation, which provides complementary details on this subject.
At the end, the apprentice must take and pass the final examination. The certificate is not issued automatically simply because the contract has ended. Candidates should therefore ask from day one who organises the assessment, where the examination is held and what happens if rescheduling is needed.
What apprentices must receive: pay, training and a verifiable contract
An apprentice is an employee. The contract must be concluded in writing, in Romanian, and the employment relationship is governed by the rules of the Labour Code. Monthly basic pay cannot be lower than the national gross minimum basic wage in force for full-time work. Where reduced hours apply to minors, pay entitlements are set in proportion to working time.
In addition to the usual elements of an individual employment contract, an apprenticeship contract must specify at least:
- the qualification sought;
- the provider organising the training;
- the name and qualification of the apprenticeship coordinator appointed by the employer;
- the place or places where training is delivered;
- the duration of theoretical and practical training;
- the additional obligations of the employer and apprentice.
The coordinator is not a bureaucratic detail. They must guide the apprentice, cooperate with the training provider and monitor the activity plan. If the employer is not itself an authorised training provider, it must contract an authorised provider for the training and examination.
A warning sign arises when an employer speaks of an “apprenticeship” but offers only a job with informal instruction, without being able to identify the provider, qualification, coordinator and examination. That may be a standard entry-level job, entirely possible as an employment relationship, but it should not be presented as a certified apprenticeship.
The candidate’s route: from AJOFM to the examination
- Check the field. Choose an occupation for which there is an occupational standard or vocational training standard. Not every title invented in an advertisement can automatically become an apprenticeship programme.
- Register with AJOFM if you want placement through the public service. For people seeking work, ANOFM indicates registration with the agency responsible for their domicile or residence, followed by an application to participate in the programme.
- Prepare the documents. At the registration stage, the main requirements are an identity document, education and qualification documents, and a declaration concerning any medical restrictions. For the contract, requirements include an identity document, birth certificate, education documents, medical fitness certificate, referral notice and a declaration that the person does not hold a qualification in the targeted field.
- Take part in the employer’s selection process. A referral from AJOFM does not oblige a company to hire the candidate; the employer makes the selection and, if it has a favourable outcome, concludes the contract.
- Check the annexes before signing. The job description, activity plan and referral notice must be consistent with the promised qualification.
- Complete the training and examination. Theory and practice take place during the contract, with monitoring. The certificate is obtained after passing the final examination.
AJOFM Buzău publishes a page dedicated to training, skills certification, apprenticeships and traineeships, while the institution’s contact details are available on the official AJOFM Buzău contact page. For a candidate in the county, the effective question is not simply “Do you have apprenticeships?”, but “Which declared apprenticeship vacancies are currently active, and for which qualifications?”
Documents worth having ready
The exact list can be checked with the agency for each person’s circumstances, but the documents required by ANOFM allow for advance preparation:
- identity card, original and copy;
- birth certificate, original and copy;
- education documents, original and copy; certified copies may be requested in some procedures;
- any qualification certificates or diplomas already held;
- a medical fitness certificate for the work concerned;
- the referral notice, where the procedure is handled through AJOFM;
- a declaration on one’s own responsibility concerning the absence of a qualification in the apprenticeship field and the status of any apprenticeship contract terminated for attributable reasons in the past two years.
Education documents and the medical certificate are the items most likely to delay the application file. It is useful to request the exact name of the qualification in advance, so that the doctor and school documents can be checked against the actual activity.
RON 2,250: what the employer receives and what it means, indicatively
The financial incentive is granted to the employer upon request. According to information published by ANOFM, it amounts to RON 2,250 per month for each apprentice, for the duration of the contract. It is granted in proportion to time actually worked and may also cover annual paid leave if the employer demonstrates implementation of the activity plan through the monitoring report.
Accordingly, the calculation below is a theoretical ceiling, not a promise of full payment in every month:
| Minimum apprenticeship duration | Indicative calculation | Maximum theoretical support |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | RON 2,250 × 6 | RON 13,500 |
| 12 months | RON 2,250 × 12 | RON 27,000 |
| 24 months | RON 2,250 × 24 | RON 54,000 |
| 36 months | RON 2,250 × 36 | RON 81,000 |
The company must conclude an agreement with AJOFM or AMOFM no later than 60 working days after the probationary period ends. An agreement is concluded for each contract, and payment is not automatic simply because the apprentice has been hired.
There are also important exclusions from funding from the unemployment insurance budget. For example, support is not granted where the employer previously had an apprenticeship contract with the same person for the same qualification, where the person is already qualified in the same field, or where the company had an employment relationship with the person in the past year, except for the express exception for work during school holidays. Employers in insolvency, enforcement proceedings, judicial reorganisation, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or special administration, or whose activity is suspended or restricted, also do not receive this funding.
In 2026, ANOFM is running the FORMACTIV projects for registered unemployed people over 30, and START – Invest in qualifications for the future!, for registered NEET young people under 30. Buzău is included in the national implementation area referred to by ANOFM; the territorial exclusions concern the counties of Dolj, Gorj, Hunedoara, Mureș, Prahova and Galați. The projects’ specific eligibility conditions must be checked before each hiring, as not every contract is necessarily funded through the same project.
What can be checked specifically in Buzău
AJOFM Buzău’s public structure includes a section for the register of apprenticeship employers. On the date this article was checked, the page displayed “Register of apprenticeship employers 2023”, dated 24 July 2023, as its most recent publication. This means the public register available online is not sufficient to establish which employers or occupations are active in September 2026.
The practical consequence is that you should not rely on an old list. Contact AJOFM Buzău for currently declared vacancies and the occupations for which an employer has an apprenticeship programme available. The agency has also published local information about the RON 2,250 support, the need for an agreement and training under a coordinator’s guidance. The AJOFM Buzău public register remains useful as a historical indication, not as an up-to-date list of offers.
Six questions to ask before signing
- What is the exact name and level of the qualification?
- Who is the authorised training provider, and where does theoretical training take place?
- How many hours of theory and practice are included in the plan?
- Who is my apprenticeship coordinator, and how will I be assessed during the programme?
- What basic pay is stated in the contract, and what are the working hours?
- When and through whom is the final examination for the certificate organised?
A serious offer can answer all these questions precisely. If the company only says, “We will teach you the trade,” but cannot show the qualification, provider, plan and apprenticeship contract, the candidate does not yet have evidence that they will obtain the promised certification.
For people actually looking for work through this route, an apprenticeship can be a realistic alternative to taking a separate course without employment: you receive pay during training, gain experience in real working conditions and obtain a certificate if you pass the examination. But its value depends on the quality of the specific programme, not simply on the “apprentice” label in the advertisement.
Frequently asked questions
Does the apprentice receive RON 2,250 a month?
No. The RON 2,250 monthly amount is support that the employer may request from AJOFM/AMOFM for the apprenticeship contract. The apprentice receives the salary set out in the contract, which cannot be below the gross minimum wage applicable to full-time work.
Can you do an apprenticeship after finishing secondary school or university?
Yes, if you are at least 16, are not already qualified for the targeted occupation and meet the programme’s entry requirements. Your level of education may matter for admission to the specific qualification.
Is registration with AJOFM mandatory to become an apprentice?
You may look for work independently, but registration with AJOFM is necessary when entering the public employment service’s placement and referral procedure. For access to certain funding projects, registered-person status is essential.
What do you receive at the end of an apprenticeship?
After completing theoretical and practical training and passing the final examination, the apprentice receives an adult vocational qualification certificate for the qualification listed in the programme.
Can a company call a simple entry-level job an apprenticeship?
The label alone is not enough. A lawful apprenticeship requires a specific type of individual employment contract, a training programme, theoretical and practical training, an apprenticeship coordinator, an authorised provider if the employer is not itself a provider, and a final examination.
