Bulgaria

Against the backdrop of signals from the business community in Bulgaria regarding the critically low level of digital skills among Bulgarians and the dramatic mismatch with the labor market needs, the caretaker government has approved the possibility of funding digital and other key competencies. For the first time, training for acquiring a specific level of digital competence will be funded.

Employed individuals, unemployed individuals, and economically inactive individuals will be eligible to receive training vouchers for acquiring first, second, and third levels of professional qualification, digital skills, and other key competencies.

This is outlined in a draft resolution by the Council of Ministers, which was approved by the government today. The document sets out the conditions and procedures for providing training vouchers under the Human Resources Development Program (HRDP) 2021-2027, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), and the Just Transition Fund (JTF).

The resolution further develops and expands the accumulated experience with voucher-based training for employed and unemployed individuals under projects funded by the Human Resources Development Operational Program during the period 2009-2020, as clarified by the cabinet’s press center.

For the first time, training for acquiring basic, intermediate, advanced, and highly specialized levels of digital competence will be funded. The training vouchers will be provided by the Employment Agency to unemployed, inactive, and employed individuals who represent the target groups under the HRDP, NRRP, and JTF. They will be able to apply for the vouchers through the agency’s electronic platform.

The voucher will be a digital document with a unique identification code that allows for individualization and tracking. The Employment Agency will continue to maintain a public register of the issued vouchers on its website.

Individuals who receive vouchers will have the right to choose the type and provider of the training. The value of the vouchers depends on the type and duration of the courses. For example, for acquiring the first level of professional qualification, it will be 660 BGN for training of no less than 300 instructional hours. For the second level of professional qualification, the voucher will be worth 1320 BGN for no less than 660 instructional hours, and for the third level, it will be 1980 BGN for 960 instructional hours.