The Shortage of Skilled Labour in Romania's Metalworking Industry — and How Factories are Adapting

The metalworking industry in Romania faces a deficit of approximately 35,000 CNC operators, skilled welders, and process engineers. For a company like Mepro Sisteme, which operates high-precision CNC machining in Brașov, the solution is neither massive import of personnel nor complaints to employers' associations — but rather a combination of dual education, intelligent automation, and an internal culture that retains good people.

Dual Education: A 4-year Investment

Partnerships with technical high schools in Brașov and Sfântu Gheorghe bring us 8-12 students annually who undertake 3 days/week practical training in the factory. At the end of the programme, 70% remain employed. Compared to classical recruitment, the cost per retained employee decreases by 55%, and the time to full productivity decreases from 14 months to 6 months.

Cobots and Automation: Amplifier, Not Replacement

We have introduced 4 Universal Robots collaborative robots for CNC feeding on night shifts. The result: the same operators supervise 2-3 machines simultaneously, wages have increased by 18% (the operator becomes a multi-machine technician), and production on unstaffed shifts has increased by 40%. The cobot did not replace anyone — it transformed a tiresome job into a skilled one.

Retention: What Really Works

• Loyalty bonus paid annually at 3, 5, and 10 years
• Individual career plan with company-funded certifications
• Flexible schedule for parents: 4 shifts × 10 hours instead of 5 × 8
• Internal canteen with 90% subsidised hot meals
• Free transport on fixed routes Brașov — Prejmer — Sfântu Gheorghe

These measures are not “fancy benefits” — they are the mathematical answer to staff turnover. The cost of an operator leaving for a skilled CNC operator exceeds 18,000 EUR (recruitment + 14 months ramp-up). A 2,000 EUR bonus for 3 years of service is pure savings.

What Will Happen Over the Next 5 Years

Factories that do not invest now in dual education and automation will lose orders in 2028-2030, regardless of prices. Major European OEMs are already requesting a "resilience workforce" audit before approving a supplier for long-term programmes. Romania has all the ingredients to become Europe's machining hub — but only for those who play the long game.

“You cannot order a 5-axis operator online. You have to build them for 4 years and keep them for 20.”