site.btaEducation Minister Tsokov: Unemployment Rate among Graduates in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geodesy Is Lower than National Average

Bulgaria’s caretaker Education and Science Minister Prof. Galin Tsokov said here on Tuesday that 4,400 students are pursuing studies in the professional fields of architecture, civil engineering, and geodesy, with an unemployment rate of 1.6%, which is lower than the national average. He was speaking at a forum on finding and training talent for the future of civil engineering organized by construction group Glavbolgarstroy, which marks its 55th anniversary on this day.

He added that 71% of students in these fields of study get employed in positions that require a degree and are related to their studies within five years of graduation. "This is higher than the average percentage of young people working in jobs directly related to their degree after completing their university education," Tsokov said.

In secondary vocational education, 31 vocational high schools and 10 vocational classes in secondary and combined-grade schools offer construction-related studies. The total number of students in civil engineering and architecture is just over 6,800, accounting for just over 4% of the total percentage of students in secondary vocational education, the Minister added. Of these, 409 are enrolled in dual training programmes.

In the coming years, through collaboration with employers and construction companies, efforts should focus on expanding dual training opportunities. This would allow students to enter the labour market before graduating, Tsokov said.

In the Minister's words, the statistics presented point to the need for major development in the training of specialists with secondary vocational education, both in terms of new professions and the adaptation of the construction profession to modern vocational education, and of increasing the number of students trained in construction-related courses.

Tsokov recalled that in recent years, revisions have been made to the Vocational Education and Training Act, directly aligned with the Recovery and Resilience Plan. As a result, a new list of VET occupations will come into effect starting the 2026/2027 academic year. The Minister noted that some of the occupations in civil engineering and architecture now focus on green technologies and sustainable development, adding that this reflects the adaptation of the occupations list to the needs of modern society.