The skills of those indirectly affected by the climate transition in the coal regions of Bulgaria will be mapped
The skills of those indirectly affected by the climate transition in the coal regions of Bulgaria will be mapp
By Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works
In order to qualify and retrain in new occupations, the potential of workers from 36 municipalities will be analysed
Skills mapping of those indirectly affected by the climate transition in the coal regions of Bulgaria is forthcoming. The measure will cover a total of 36 municipalities in the districts of Stara Zagora, Kyustendil and Pernik, as well as adjacent settlements in Sliven, Yambol and Haskovo, which fall within the territorial scope of the Just Transition Fund. For this purpose, BGN 3 million will be allocated from the Regional Development Programme 2021-2027 (RDP) managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) under the procedure “Mapping the skills of indirectly affected persons in the areas most affected by the climate transition” under Priority 4 “Just Transition”. The specific beneficiary of the procedure is the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP) through the Directorate of Labour Market Policy.
The mapping exercise involves surveying and interviewing those who will be affected by the reduction in coal mining and electricity generation in order to develop the most appropriate retraining and up-skilling measures. Their communication skills, teamwork capabilities, problem-solving skills, digital skills, etc., will be examined. Vocational skills related to occupation, qualification, position held, work experience, as well as specific skills related to current and future labour market demand, etc. will also be analysed. The aim is to create the conditions for increasing adaptability to occupations, including the emergence of new ones related to the climate transition or to technological change, offering carbon-neutral production. Following the study, conclusions and recommendations will be drawn for the development, planning and provision of appropriate career development and planning measures for the up-skilling and/or retraining of those indirectly affected, as well as for increasing their adaptability to new occupations.
The funds will finance activities to develop a methodology to identify target groups of people indirectly affected by the climate transition, including household members of employees of thermal power plants and coal mines, and those affected by related businesses. The other type of activities are related to mapping skills and attitudes for development through up-skilling and/or re-skilling of the target groups, as well as aggregation and analysis of the results and preparation of reports for each of the three areas including conclusions and recommendations.
The MLSP may submit one project proposal. No co-financing will be required for the application as the entire amount will be provided free of charge. Eligible partners are: the Employment Agency, the National Statistical Institute, nationally representative employees' organisations (including their regional structures).
The measure will create a prerequisite for improving the match between demand and supply in the labour market, integrating more effectively the representatives of indirectly affected persons in the labour market through targeted investments in better anticipation of changes in it, based on the results of the mapping. This will mitigate the negative socio-economic effects of the green transition.
The procedure will be implemented through a direct grant. The deadline for submitting a project proposal is 18:00 on 04.02.2025. The full documentation is published in the Information System for Management and Monitoring of EU Funds in Bulgaria 2020, as well as on the website of the Development of Regions Programme 2021-2027.
