site.bta56,000-Plus People to Be Motivated for Active Job Seeking by 2026

Labour and Social Policy Minister Ivanka Shalapatova said more than 56,000 people would be motivated for active job seeking under a Starting Work procedure by 2026. It is implemented by the Employment Agency with financing under the Human Resources Development Programme 2021-2027 and targets economically inactive people, Shalapatova said at the opening of a career forum in Plovdiv, the Labour Ministry reported Tuesday.

She presented to job seekers the current programmes for inclusion in training and employment, funded with national and EU resources. "Employers have submitted more than 260 applications for over 490 vacancies in the first 10 days after the launch of the Youth Employment+ project. It offers people aged up to 29 opportunities for training, on-the-job training and subsidized employment," the Minister said.

She recalled that the Activation of Non-Active Persons National Programme, which is also aimed at the inclusion of inactive and discouraged people and people up to 29 years of age who are not in employment, education or training, is successfully implemented with funds from the national budget. The programme has a budget of BGN 4.7 million and is expected to activate 12,000 people.

Shalapatova stressed the importance of measures to address the skills shortage. The Employment Agency has started to receive applications from training providers for courses to both unemployed and employed people with vouchers for vocational qualifications and/or key competences. They will be implemented under the Human Resources Development Programme 2021-2027, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Just Transition Fund.

"The Labour and Social Policy Ministry and the Employment Agency will continue to implement a number of incentive measures to create more opportunities for inactive people and jobseekers to join the labour market, as well as to help employers to find motivated workers with the knowledge and skills they need," Shalapatova said.