Involving the Younger Generation in the Transformation of Romanian Rural Space

Abstract

This paper examines the involvement of young people in the sustainable transformation of Romanian rural areas, using Ariniș commune, Maramureș County, as a case study. The originality of the research lies in its focus on youth participation as a key factor linking education, local initiative, entrepreneurship and com-munity development in a rural Romanian context affected by demographic decline and limited economic opportunities. The study is based on an exploratory quantitative approach, using data collected through an online questi-onnaire applied between April and May 2025 to 62 respondents aged 15–40 with current or previous resi-dence in Ariniș commune. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics in order to identify per-ceptions regarding education, vocational training needs, youth involvement, local development opportuni-ties and perceived barriers to community progress. The results show that education is perceived as a strategic factor for rural development, although respon-dents indicate shortcomings in the capacity of the local school to support professional integration. The findings also reveal interest in vocational training connected to agriculture, administration, business, per-sonal care services and technical fields. Young people are seen as potential contributors to local develop-ment, particularly through entrepreneurship, cultural activities, ecological initiatives and participation in community decision-making. However, their involvement is limited by the lack of administrative vision, financial constraints, demographic aging and insufficient economic initiative. The scientific contribution of the paper consists in highlighting the relationship between youth retention, education, local participation and rural transformation. From a practical perspective, the study supports the need for youth-oriented rural policies focused on vocational training, entrepreneurship support, participa-tory governance and the creation of local opportunities capable of reducing migration and strengthening community resilience.