„If today if we don't start decisive reforms, in ten years there will be no one to work in Bulgaria", said Vasil Velev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (AIKB), during the round table “The link between education and the labor market“, which took place today, December 5, 2024. in Sofia.
The event drew the attention of over 150 representatives of state institutions, branch and business organizations, educational institutions, vocational high schools, private schools, regional education authorities, business organizations and trade unions to the alarming data: nearly 50% of students drop out of the system before to complete secondary education, and more than 40% of graduates work in positions that do not require a higher education. “Instead of being a source of highly qualified personnel, Bulgaria increasingly risks being left without the necessary workforce. This is the result of a systematic lack of connection between education and the needs of the labor market, which is deepening, Velev added.
According to the National Map of Higher Education, universities often offer majors that are not in demand on the labor market. Fields such as “Mathematics“ and “Transport construction“, which generate specialists with high added value, remain poorly filled – respectively 19.5% and 16.8% of the available capacity. At the same time, the largest number of students are trained in fields such as “Social, economic and legal sciences”, which are not among the most sought after by employers, and often graduates remain unemployed or occupy mid-level positions. The need for technical personnel, engineers and healthcare professionals remains critically high, and in these areas implementation is almost complete – up to 95% for doctors for example.
Bulgarian education needs a comprehensive reform to adapt it to the needs of the economy. It is imperative to work on improving vocational education, increasing the attractiveness of key professions and strengthening the participation of business in the creation of curricula.
Dr. Ilin Dimitrov - Secretary for Culture, Education and Tourism of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria pointed out that “The data are startling and it is imperative that all interested parties insist that the proposals made be taken into account and that solutions and urgent measures for reforms in our education system”. As the main problems, he indicated the low share of early childhood education and care in Bulgaria compared to the EU average, the low level of cognitive and social-emotional skills necessary for school, as well as the weak connection between science and the labor market.< /p>
The data presented by AIKB highlight dramatic deficits in the education system. Over the past 5 years, the number of students receiving a high school diploma has dropped by 25%, and those choosing vocational education – by over 50%. Of these, over half are functionally illiterate according to recent international estimates. The results of the PISA test show that 54% of Bulgarian students do not reach the critical minimum of knowledge in mathematics, 53% - in reading and 48% - in natural sciences.
Demographic decline further deepens the crisis. In the last three decades, the number of new births has decreased by 34,434 people, and the continued emigration of young people has significantly reduced the number of learners. This combination of factors leads to a drastic decrease in the number of graduates, which limits the flow of qualified personnel to the labor market.
„Education should be presented as a platform for the unification of Bulgaria from the point of view of its future - both employers and social partners, parents and our entire society. There should be a common national program for the development of education, tailored to the labor market. At the Ministry of Education and Science, we are working to ensure that vocational classes make up 60% of all classes, but in order to have children in them, we also need to better advertise them as a career development opportunity to our children and their parents” added prof. Dr. Tsokov, Minister of Education and Science.
Main problems in the field of education were identified. Among them are a low proportion of students completing secondary education – about 50%; mismatch between education and labor market needs; need for promotion of vocational education, information and advertising about its importance; outdated teaching methods and curricula; oversupply in higher education and demographic collapse.
According to the Association, the demographic decline and the lack of adequate reforms are among the leading factors for deepening the crisis. Despite efforts to adapt educational programs to the needs of business, the system remains insufficiently flexible, and the funding of the “money follows the student” does not drive quality. According to the forecasts of the Employment Agency, in the coming years, Bulgaria will experience an acute shortage of specialists in fields such as engineering, construction and healthcare. The existing educational programs, oriented mainly to theoretical knowledge, are far from the practical requirements of the labor market.
„Unfortunately, we are currently in a very sharp structural mismatch between what employers are looking for and what is available as a workforce. I sincerely believe that only in partnership can we look for solutions, because the education system and the labor market system are so organically connected that they cannot provide independent solutions that are not connected, nor can they compensate for deficits that have arisen in an earlier stage“, pointed out Natalia Efremova, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy.
The discussion emphasized the urgent reforms to extend basic education and the active participation of business in the management of educational programs, AIKB's proposal to introduce a compulsory matriculation exam in mathematics received full support from those present. The participants united around the need to introduce a compulsory matriculation exam in mathematics after the twelfth grade and to promote education in deficit specialties - both vocational and higher.