The MyCompetence online platform contributes to the implementation of labour market policies and priorities from the New Skills Agenda for Europe, the Council recommendation on Upskilling Pathways for adults (2016), and for the provision of better opportunities for those with low levels of skills, knowledge and competencies (Country specific recommendation, June 2019 (1)).

The practice is in line with Guideline 6 of the European Employment Strategy – Enhancing labour supply and improving access to employment, skills and competences.

The Bulgarian economy stabilised after the economic crisis in 2008 and is now in an advanced phase of expansion and experiencing gradual growth. The GDP increased by 3.5% during 2018 (2).

In 2018 the economic activity rate of individuals in the age group 15-64 years old was at 71.1%, while the employment rate was at 67.7%. The employed work mainly in the services sector (61.5%), in industry (30.2%) and the agricultural sector (30.2%) (3).

The Bulgarian job vacancy rate has increased, and employers face difficulties in finding candidates to fill vacancies. Applicants are over- or underqualified or do not hold the right skills and competences for the job. On the one hand, the rate of individuals with secondary and tertiary education is growing, while there is a decline in the working age population. Furthermore, due to the challenges of the future of work, workers and jobseekers are constantly required to acquire new skills or update their existing knowledge.

In the past six years the percentage of employers that highlighted difficulties with filling vacancies has increased respectively by 34% (construction), 25% (manufacturing), 20.5% (retail) and 19.2% (services).

Skills mismatches are both vertical (overqualification (5)), and horizontal. In 2018 23.6% of the Bulgarians aged 20-64 years old with tertiary education were overqualified for their occupation. The sectors worst affected are manufacturing (36.6%), construction (25%), wholesale (36.1%) and transport (36%) (6). In the same year, horizontal mismatch (7) was 26.7% for individuals aged 15-34 with ISCED level 3-8 and 29% for age range 25-34 and ISCED level 5-8. In the last group, horizontal mismatch affected mostly graduates in the area of ‘humanities, languages and art’ (51%), ‘engineering’ (47.9%) and ‘science, mathematics and computing’ (35.6%).

MyCompetence online platform encompasses a number of tools to make jobseekers’ and workers’ skills more transparent and visible, such as sector competence models for 25 industrial economic sectors, job description and assessment tools. Online training is available to fill skills gaps (1). It seeks to support and increase labour market participation. It provides information about skills and competences needed for the successful performance of job positions, thus contributes to better matching demand and labour supply.

• To balance labour market demand with labour supply in terms of skills, knowledge and competences of the Bulgarian workforce.
• To influence policies and reforms in the areas of employment and education. 

MyCompetence delivers the following services on the online platform (https://mycompetence.bg/):

• Models of Sector Competences: this section includes a description of knowledge, skills and competences for ‘key job positions’. ‘Key job positions’ are considered crucial for a sector and for the success of an enterprise. They are described in terms of competences, skills and knowledge. Competence models are developed for key positions in 25 economic sectors including automotive, building, dairy and chemical industries; construction, cosmetics, electric vehicles, electrical engineering, electronics, energy, facility management, furniture, machine building, meat processing, mechatronics and automation, metallurgy, mining and quarrying, retail, security and safety, soft drinks, software industry, tourism, transportation, and wholesale.
• Competence Assessment: MyCompetence includes online tools to allow users to assess or self-assess competences and identify gaps that need to be filled. The assessment provides a detailed report that highlights suitable job positions for the user as well as the gaps that need to be filled. Additionally, it provides recommendations for further training.
• E-learning: the platform offers online training courses to develop key competences. It also supplies learning materials for self-study and additional information about certificates and training providers. On completion of a training course, users get a certificate that can be included in their Europass CV. Additionally, the platform offers an online library for competence development and assessment and statistical data about the 25 sectors covered.

Outputs

• By the end of 2019 the MyCompetence website reached 2.5 million visits.
• Registrations have tripled since 2014. It has around 45 000 registered users, including employees, jobseekers, educational institutions and employers. The platform is visited and used primarily by HR managers, students, university teachers and jobseekers.
• 25 Sector Skills Committees were established with over 300 participants. They are composed by employers, managers, social partners, representatives of government institutions, education and training institutions and other parties concerned.
• By the end of 2019 the MyCompetences online tool included 541 competency profiles for key positions in 25 economic sectors, 20 online tools for assessment and self-assessment of competences, 47 online training courses for acquisition of key competences, 1 000 competences described in a National Classification of Competences, an online catalogue of competencies grouped by occupations.
• E-modules were developed to support HR departments and specialists to develop company competence models, job analysis, audit and assessment and for individuating learning shortages and training needs.

• By the end of 2019 26 000 users completed a self-assessment or engaged in an online training course. Managerial competences, emotional intelligence and social competences were the most recurrent competences assessed. Team management, recruitment, leadership and emotional intelligence were the most popular courses.
• MyCompetence competence models are used by the National Agency for VET (NAVET) for describing professions as an element of the standards for vocational education, so that they are relevant to labour market. Furthermore, NAVET experts consult with the Sector Skills Committees to gather additional knowledge about features of existing and new professions.
• The Public Employment Service (PES) uses MyCompetence as a supporting tool to improve the quality of its services, through incorporating the e-module ‘Jobseeker Personal Profile’ into its national database.