Over 55% of all registered unemployed in labor offices, or nearly 83,000 people, are without professional qualifications and specialty, according to the latest data from the Employment Agency. According to the National Employment Action Plan for 2025, trade union and employer organizations are starting the implementation of training and employment projects with priority for the so-called vulnerable groups. The contracts for their implementation were signed with the Agency's executive director Smilen Valov at the beginning of the month, BNR reports.
The signed contracts with social partners are worth a total of over 8.6 million leva and cover 4,700 unemployed people for the acquisition of professional qualifications or key competencies. It is planned that at least 35% of the trainees will start working after their graduation. One of the projects is "From training to employment for the benefit of people" of the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions. It will enable the most people compared to the other projects of the social partners, namely - 931 unemployed people to be trained in 7 professions. The consultant for active labor market policy at the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions and Employers Diana Naydenova explained that the project is worth 1.4 million leva from the state budget and the training under it starts on Monday:
"Let's train risk groups who neither work nor study. Long-term unemployed people, inactive in the labor market, elderly people in professions that will benefit people who are in demand on the labor market - municipal hospitals, emergency care, social homes...".
The professions are paramedic, caregiver, social assistants for working with adults and children, forestry workers for maintaining green areas and construction assistant:
"The state allocated 20 leva. a scholarship for a day of attendance, which is a very good thing, so that these people, while studying, can receive some funds to cover their needs, money is provided for travel expenses".