2024-02-20 22:58:18
In the following years until 2027, the financial resource that will be invested for the training of unemployed and employed persons is in the amount of BGN 1 billion. It is expected that 830,000 people will be covered. This was stated by Social Affairs Minister Ivanka Shalapatova during a forum dedicated to the skills of the future, in connection with Bulgaria’s candidacy for membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The event takes place in Sofia Tech Park.
The resource will provide access to training, acquisition and improvement of qualifications. This will help reduce the imbalance between demand and supply in the labor market, the minister said. Shalapatova explained that the project to deliver digital skills training and create a platform for adult training was delayed by two years. The initiative was launched on December 21, she recalled. This year alone, 200,000 unemployed and employed people will receive basic or intermediate digital skills training. By the middle of 2026, plans are for the measure to cover up to 500,000 people, Shalapatova also pointed out. According to her, also by 2026, 100,000 unemployed and employed persons will be given the opportunity to apply directly for an exam and certify their digital skills.
According to the data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI), the Bulgarian population continues to decrease and age, and the population of working age is decreasing, and this has a negative impact on the labor market in the direction of a labor shortage, the minister explained. She noted the low level of unemployment in December this year. – 5.6%, but emphasized that the facts should be looked at “comprehensively and comprehensively” and that it should be interpreted qualitatively. More than 60% of the surveyed employers in our country indicate difficulty in finding a workforce that possesses the specific competences for the needs of specific companies. This is according to a study by the Ministry of Social Affairs conducted through the Employment Agency, Shalapatova also said. This year we have an increase in resources for active policies for the labor market by BGN 15 million. Active policies will lead to economic progress , the minister also commented. Focus on vulnerable groups and their activation on the labor market is also a priority of the Social Ministry, which Shalapatova mentioned. She also emphasized the main task – analysis of the pension system, BTA reported.