2021

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated green and digital transitions and posed new challenges to the professional development of many people. They will need to acquire new skills or improve their skills in order to adapt to the changing labor market. Skills development is an important task of the Employment Agency in 2021 to support the preparation of the workforce for the post-crisis labor market. The new structural trends require raising the qualification, retraining and improvement of the skills, incl. digital, for both the unemployed and the employed. A proactive approach will be applied, including forecasting skills needs, training in close cooperation with labor market stakeholders. The proactive approach also includes the identification of growing sectors, the professions sought and the provision of appropriate vocational guidance for the workforce, incl. through career centers.

In 2021 The State Enterprise "Bulgarian-German Center for Vocational Training" (BGCPO) provides an opportunity to conduct more courses with a longer duration in professions / specialties, not provided with sufficient appropriate staff. In addition to trainings for acquiring professional qualification and key competencies, the company also conducts trainings for adult educators - teachers in vocational high schools, teachers in vocational training centers and mentors in companies. In 2021, the application of an innovative approach to career guidance continues, such as individuals are given the opportunity to test their practical skills in their chosen profession in order to make an informed and better awared choice of profession.

In 2021 in the context of the new European Skills Agenda for Sustainable Competitiveness, Social Justice and Sustainability (European Skills Agenda), which focuses on enhancing digital skills and creating the conditions for training in such skills, along with other key competencies, trainings on key competence “Digital competence” are also financed. This will ensure the improvement of the digital skills of the unemployed, whose presence is increasingly a crucial condition for their employment by employers. The small, micro and medium-sized enterprises have the opportunity to request the inclusion of their employees in training for acquisition of key competencies. Employers are committed to provide the employment of those who have successfully completed the training for a period of not less than 6 months.

This year continues the training through work in the form of internships and apprenticeships. The practical acquisition of a profession through the inclusion of unemployed persons in in-service  training (dual training system) continues to be promoted. Employers who have opened a job for in-service  training are provided with financial incentives for the duration of the training.

Ensuring conditions and employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed is among the main priorities of active labor market policy and is in line with the EU Council Recommendation on the integration of the long-term unemployed into the labor market. "Program for training and employment of the long-term unemployed" is implemented to increase the employability of persons by including them in training, leading to increased knowledge and skills. The Program is valid until 31.12.2021, but based on the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Program, its validity can be extended.

The Refugee Employment and Training Program supports the labor market integration of foreigners who have been granted refugee or humanitarian status in the current year or in the previous two calendar years by increasing their employability through inclusion in Bulgarian language training, training for acquiring professional qualification and providing subsidized employment.

The Career Start program aims to provide employment opportunities for unemployed young people who have completed higher education, in order to facilitate the transition between education and employment, as well as to achieve a flexible combination of knowledge, skills and experience in line with the requirements of the market economy.

2020

During the current period, the project "New skills - new opportunities" is being implemented. The main goal is to improve access to the labor market for unemployed people from risk groups on the labor market by providing a package of services including training for people from these groups, in order to increase their suitability and adaptability for further employment, improve social services in the municipalities and provide individual assistance to people with disabilities, preparation for future changes in work by acquiring skills, competencies and qualifications.

2019

There have been no reforms to date in this area.