At a Glance

Location: Romania

Impact Areas: Employment Generation, Placement

People Supported:
Youth at risk, People with Disabilities, Ethnic Minorities, Migrants, Refugees

Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2023

https://www.utildeco.ro/

Overview

Romania has the lowest employment rate of persons with severe disabilities among all EU countries. Founded in 2008 to fight these inequalities and promote social inclusion in the job market, UtilDeco is one of the largest work integration enterprises in Romania.

To support its mission, the social enterprise runs a high-impact insertion program with personalized career guidance and on-the-job training across its diverse business lines, which include archiving, production of textile protection equipment, coffee roasting, and digital printing.

UtilDeco provides tailored career training to people with disabilities, individuals coming from the child protection system, ethnic groups, and migrants – helping them to build confidence and improve financial stability. The enterprise takes a comprehensive approach to training by identifying the unique skill sets of each individual and cultivating those talents before matching candidates with potential employers.

Through its placement service, UtilDeco has helped over 150 excluded people to get trained and find a job on the open market. After the war broke out in Ukraine, UtilDeco has broadened its comprehensive employment services to support refugees. 


Results & Impact 

150+

 people with disabilities and from other excluded groups trained

10

internal jobs for refugees by 2027

90 

refugees placed in the open market by 2027

At UtilDeco, each person is unique, and we try to make the most of their potential. After carefully counseling and assessing their work capacity, we try to find the most suitable place in our workshops that best meets their professional growth needs.
— Angela Achitei, General Manager of UtilDeco

NESsT Investment

With NESsT’s support, UtilDeco will implement a new refugee-first employment placement program. By focusing on identifying and developing people’s skills through vocational testing and tailored job coaching services, UtilDeco plans to place over 90 refugees in the open labor market. The professional training program also aims to equip refugees with invaluable, transferable skills in the event they can return to their home countries.

In addition, NESsT’s investment in the form of a recoverable grant will support UtilDeco in expanding its OPYA Coffee Roastery with new premises and products. The increase in capacity of its coffee business line will allow for up to three refugees to be hired every year over the next five years.