Database of labour market practices
This database gathers practices in the field of employment submitted by European countries for the purposes of mutual learning. These practices have proven to be successful in the country concerned, according to its national administration. The European Commission does not have a position on the policies or measures mentioned in the database.
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| Original Title: | Programa Start na karierata , Komponent 1 |
| Country: | Bulgaria |
| Responsible body: | Ministry of Labour and Social Policy |
| Name(s) of other organisations involved (partners / sub-contractors): | National Employment Agency – Co-Managing Authority. Partners: Central administration – ministries, national agencies, etc.;Regional and municipal administrations. |
| Start Year of implementation: | 2003 |
| End Year of implementation: | Ongoing |
| EU policy relevance: | The Career Start Programme is in line with the youth employment integration priority laid down in the National Reform Programme of the Republic of Bulgaria and is aimed at contributing to the achievement of the Europe 2020 National target for employment. The Programme also corresponds to Guideline 6: Enhancing labour supply, skills and competences of the European Employment Strategy by addressing the challenges associated with the transition from education to employment. |
| National labour market context: | After the global crisis hit Bulgaria in 2009, the country witnessed five consecutive years of negative labour market developments. Unemployment soared from a record-low of 5.7% for the 15-64 year olds in 2008 to 13% in 2013. In absolute terms this was expressed in another 235 thousand people of the active working population who found themselves without a job over this period. Employment was also falling and registered a 7.2 p.p. reduction in 2013 compared to 2008 for those aged 20-64. The labour market in Bulgaria showed some positive signs in 2014, but recovery remained slow. The unemployment rate fell to 11.4% while total employment increased by 1.6% (20 – 64) after remaining unchanged the year before, to reach however only 48% of those aged 15 years and over. Registered employment growth can be mainly ascribed to the higher number of jobs in trade and agriculture. For the young population (between 15 and 29 years of age), the positive growth was much more moderate with an annual employment increase of 0.5% or 1.5 thousand people. Thus for 2014, 38% of the 15-29 year-olds were employed, while the youth unemployment rate was 17.7%. Source: National Statistical Institute, LFS |
| Policy area: | Active labour market policies, Labour market participation |
| Specific policy or labour market problem being addressed: | The Career Start Programme addresses the difficulties that young university graduates face immediately after graduation in their efforts to find jobs which match the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their higher education. The position of this particular target group on the labour market is highly specific compared to the overall working age population since on one hand they possess a high level of qualifications, but on the other hand they generally lack work experience, information or contacts to find a suitable job. It is not uncommon that employers are unwilling to hire such job candidates as despite their educational level, they do not possess work experience, professional competencies and the necessary work habits. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that according to LFS data of the National Statistical Institute, the unemployment rate for the 25-29 year-olds possessing higher education for 2014 was nearly twice as high (9.8%) compared to that of the age group 25-64 (5%). |
| Aims and objectives of the policy or measure: | The overarching aim of the Career Start Programme is to provide opportunities to unemployed young university graduates to acquire work experience in order to facilitate their transition from education to the labour market. The specific objectives of the Programme include:
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| Main activities / actions underpinning the policy or measure: | The main activities of the Career Start Programme are associated with provision of job opportunities in the public administration for unemployed university graduates below 29 years of age provided there is a match between the announced job vacancies by the respective central, regional and municipal administrations and the young people’s educational profile.
The Programme comprises the following activities, carried out on an annual basis:
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| Geographical scope of policy or measure: | National |
| Target groups: | Other |
| Outputs and outcomes of the policy or measure: | A total of 7 845 young people participated in the Career Start Programme for the period 2003-2014. More than 70% of them stayed in the public administration or found another job as a result of the acquired professional experience. Traditionally the educational profile of the young people employed by the central, regional or municipal public administrations is in the fields of law, economy, information and communication technologies, management and administration, social activities, civil engineering and construction, philology, ecology, etc. |
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Career Start Programme, Component 1