• The training program in sustainable development runs from April to July 2025, in 5 development regions of Romania.
• The postgraduate course targets over 1,200 future experts in sustainable development, who will become local leaders of change.
• The total value of the training program is 5.3 million lei, with funding entirely sourced from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Bucharest, February 25, 2025 – Goldbach Consulting, part of the Goldbach Group, alongside the University of Bucharest and Ascendis Consulting, announces the launch in 2025 of a postgraduate training program in sustainable development for public officials at the local, regional, and central levels. The program is worth 5.3 million lei and is fully funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The training courses target over 1,200 sustainable development experts, building their skills to become agents of change in the communities they serve.

„During the course, future experts in sustainable development will acquire the necessary skills to influence public policies, assess the impact of sustainable solutions and improve communication in the context of local transformation process, positioning them as pioneers in implementing sustainable practices. Throughout the training program, participants will learn, test and explore, both theoretically and practically, what it means to be an expert in sustainable development in a community”, said Celestina Dumitrescu, General Manager Goldbach Consulting.

The program is addressed to public officials and contractual staff with higher education from local, regional, and central public institutions, with different levels of training and experience, who have or will have tasks and responsibilities in the field of sustainable development. The course will be conducted both in physical and online formats, over a period of 8 weeks, from April to July 2025, and is accredited in accordance with the occupational standard “Sustainable Development Expert” code COR 242232.

The University of Bucharest participates in the project through the Training and Consulting Service, UniBuc Consult, the consultancy division of the university, which brings together high-level expertise from the academic and research staff, to capitalize on them in projects with practical impact or at the level of public policies.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to contribute, together with our partners, to the training of «a wave» of more than 1,200 sustainable development specialists, who will have the chance to change professional practices in the field across the whole country. Romania is boldly positioning itself in this field and we are determined to support the strategic initiatives of the General Secretariat of the Government”, says Prof. Lucian Ciolan, Vice-Rector of the University of Bucharest for Development Projects and Continuing Education.

Throughout the course, participants will use the Code of Talent platform, provided by Ascendis Consulting, as a digital tool for delivering theoretical content, as well as an autonomous digital learning environment.

“Public administration employees in Romania will use modern learning methods through the Code of Talent platform, ranked first in the G2.com top of microlearning software products. Through short learning assignments, learners go through the entire curriculum in an interactive way and will be able to receive information and feedback directly in the platform from mentors and trainers in the program. Tests, quizzes, case studies, and simulations will allow employees to develop essential skills for the role of Sustainable Development Expert. Created in a dynamic format, the assignments will prepare public administration employees to assimilate knowledge and adopt best practices in the field of sustainable development”, said Sorin Păun, partner in the Ascendis Group, the market leader in training and consulting in organizational development, a group which includes the Code of Talent platform.

The sustainable development training program is being carried out for the benefit of the General Secretariat of the Government (SGG) in 5 development regions of Romania – North-West, Center, North-East, South-West Oltenia, and West. The program aims to contribute to the reform of public administration by strengthening sustainable development practices, thus supporting the implementation of the European Green Deal.

The nationwide implementation of the program complements Goldbach’s mission, assumed at group level, for all 8 companies that are part of the Goldbach Group. Over the past 5 years, Goldbach Consulting has attracted more than 14 million euro in more than 40 projects in the field of non-reimbursable funds, through different funding programs – POSDRU, POR, POS CCE, POS Environment, PNDR, POAT, Norwegian Funds and PNRR.

About Goldbach Consulting

SMART Integration, founded 13 years ago, is the first of the eight companies in the Goldbach group, playing a crucial role in its creation and development. Based on in-house expertise in various fields, since 2024, SMART Integration’s activities have been taken over by Goldbach

Consulting, which continues the projects implemented by SMART Integration, offering a full spectrum of services, including technical assistance, business development consulting, training, communication and event organization, studies and strategies, as well as solutions for sustainable development.

About Goldbach Group

A holding that brings together several companies with the aim of providing innovative, sustainable and high-quality solutions in their respective fields, Goldbach Group’s mission is to build better and more resilient communities, contributing to the long-term development of society. The Goldbach Group’s approach is anchored in ESG principles and practices, ensuring that every project creates benefits for people, the environment, and our common future.

About the University of Bucharest

The University of Bucharest stands out as a center of expertise in the field of sustainable development, making a significant contribution both in the training of future specialists and in research and innovation activities. Through its 31 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs dedicated to sustainable development goals, over 50 courses focused on these topics, and more than 20 research and development projects, the University of Bucharest takes an active role in shaping sustainable solutions to the challenges of contemporary society.

The UniBuc Consult Training and Consultancy Service is the consultancy division of the University of Bucharest, which brings together the areas of high expertise present among the academic and research staff, with the aim of capitalizing on them in projects with practical impact or at the public policies level. Pursuing the transfer of knowledge and expertise from the academic world to solve concrete problems of the national and international socio-economic environment, UniBuc Consult develops the infrastructure and internal practices of knowledge transfer to influence public policies and promote socially responsible behaviors.