3.3 Skills Forecasting
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Forecasting system(s)
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy has developed a model for forecasting the supply and demand for labour in Bulgaria. The forecasting model has been developed on a modular basis. The long-term forecasts for the employment market development in Bulgaria (by 2034) cover 43 levels of education, 38 economic activities and 120 groups of professions. The forecasts are made on the basis of various sources of information, and namely the National Institute of Statistics (Национален статистически институт), the National Revenue Agency (Национална агенция за приходите), the National Social Security Institute (Национален социално-осигурителен институт), the Employment Agency (Агенция по заетостта) and Eurostat.
Furthermore, the Employment Agency carries out annual survey of employers’ needs of workforce (Проучване за потребностите от работна сила). The survey aims to collect and analyze updated information about professions, competences, knowledge and skills of the employees sought by employers. Collected data refer to the demand of workforce both during the next 12 months and during the following 3-5 years. The 2024 survey report shows the understanding of respondents (employers) in terms of the role of skills as a key to the success of their business. 12 key skills are proposed that cover the main transversal skills under the ESCO classification. 87,4% of employers find the self-control and discipline skill as most valuable. In terms of competences, the respondents may choose among the 8 key competences under the European reference framework on key competences for lifelong learning, and namely: personal and social competence; literacy; entrepreneurship; digital competence; numerical, scientific and engineering skills, active citizenship, multilingualism, cultural awareness and expression. According to the survey, employers give priority to personal and social competence, followed by literacy and entrepreneurship competences.
Skills development
The Pre-School and School Education Act (Закон за предучилищното и училищното образование) (effective from 01 August 2016, last amendment16 August 2024), defines the state educational standards, curricula and programs which aim to introduce competence-based approach in school. The orientation of education
towards the acquisition of a complex of key competencies is associated with a change in focus
towards the mastering of knowledge and skills and their application in life. The main goal of teaching is to make education more
attractive and practically oriented by applying new methods and approaches and
to build attitudes towards lifelong learning. The standards, curricula and
programs are optimized in order to more closely link the knowledge and skills
acquired at school with their practical application.
The Ministry of Education and Science has designed a Strategic Framework for Development of Education, Training and Learning in the Republic of Bulgaria (2021 – 2030) (Стратегическа рамка за развитие на образованието, обучението и ученето в Република България (2021 – 2030). Among other things, the Strategic Framework sets out measures and and actions for competences and talants and realisation in professions of today and future through:
- Implementation of policies to achieve high-quality and innovative vocational education and training that corresponds to the dynamically changing requirements of the labor market;
- Update of curricula and programs for adaptation to the changes in the profession structure;
- Encouragement of partnerships among professional high schools, universities, enterprises and research centers;
- Increase of the share of dual form of education.