Lifelong learning is a necessity, said Petar Garov, head of the Department Verification - Southern in the Main Directorate for European Funds, International Programmes and Projects in the Labour and Social Policy Ministry, at the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills conference in Plovdiv on Tuesday.
"The most important thing is to learn that we must learn. It is not enough to just complete an education and then find a job. The environment is constantly changing, the labor market is changing and we have to meet their demands", Garov emphasized.
He noted that the Human Resources Development Programme has the opportunity to finance many initiatives related to the training of employed and unemployed people, so that they have the opportunity to find a good job with a good income, adding that the Employment Agency provides vouchers that provide training and development opportunities. Garov also said that soft competencies provide the foundation on which professional knowledge is built and that a procedure for new skills will be opened soon, with the programme worth BGN 74 million.
The ALMA programme is also expected to start soon, which will give young and promising people the opportunity to gain experience in European Union organizations for a period of two to six months, Garov said.
The Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project is a continuation of the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The main objective of the project will be to provide objective and comprehensive information and an accurate overall picture of the European Union's cohesion policy in all Bulgarian regions. Special emphasis will be placed on skills and knowledge as an engine for regional development.
As part of the project, in the period from November 2024 to September 2025, BTA will organize discussions in its regional press clubs in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik , Pernik, Petrich, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen and Yambol. BTA will also hold cross-border conferences in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje and Thessaloniki.
