Vocational training opportunities

Updated 23.07.2024

The Bulgarian Employment Agency offers vouchers for free training for unemployed and inactive people, including those with refugee or humanitarian status or temporary protection. 

The vouchers are for training that can improve your basic skills (so-called key competences), as well as to acquire a professional qualification or part of a profession. For example, you can enrol on a course for: 

• language literacy 
• foreign languages including Bulgarian and English language courses
• mathematical competence 
• in science, technology and engineering. 
• development of personal and social competence
• learning skills
• civic and entrepreneurial competence, etc.

You can find information about all available courses and the organizers who offer them at this link (the information is available in Bulgarian only).

In general, you are entitled to a maximum of one training voucher for a proffesional qualification and one training voucher for a key competency, unless you have opted for digital competence training. In this case, you are only entitled to one voucher for basic, intermediate, advanced and highly specialised levels.

How can I apply?

STEP 1: You must submit an electronic application. 

Only online applications are accepted! To do this, you must have an active email address, to which you will receive a "confirmation email for the email address provided for correspondence with the applicant" with a verification code, which you needto indicate in the application before you submit it. 

STEP 2: Obtaining a reference number

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive information about the number under which your application is registered in the Employment Agency system to the email address you have provided. 

STEP 3: Issuance an electronic voucher for the requested training.

If approved, an electronic voucher will be issued in your name and sent to your email address. You are not allowed to give it to someone else! 

The training voucher for the acquisition of key competences or professional qualifications includes training, passing an exam and issuing a certificate of successful completion. 

The Digital Competency Training Voucher only covers the process of delivering the training.

If you are refused a voucher, you will receive a reply which should include the reasons for the refusal.

Do I have any obligation after receiving the voucher?

After receiving a voucher, you are obliged to attend the training course regularly according to the approved schedule and to have a minimum attendance of 80%. 

You must also take an exam after the training, where this is foreseen. 

If you do not comply with your obligations you may have to pay the amount for the voucher issued to you. 

What if I can't use the voucher?

The issued voucher can be cancelled and a new one issued if:

1. the organiser of the training is removed from the lists of the Employment Agency and the training cannot take place;

2. in case of inability of the training organizer to start the training within 6 months from the date of issue of the voucher;

3. clerical errors have been made when completing the voucher;

4. you have been absent for valid reasons from more than 20% of your classes. In this case, you are entitled to continue your training with the same training provider or receive a new voucher after cancellation of the previous one.

5. At your request before you are enrolled in the training, but no later than 7 working days before the start of the training.

Further information, as well as consultation for inclusion in the training with vouchers, can be obtained at all job centres in the country.

The courses are funded by the "Getting Started" project - Component 2 - "Training".

The source of the information is the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Employment Agency.

Other opportunities

EMPLOY ME project

The EMPLOY ME project aims to improve and enhance employability skills of young second-generation migrants through the development of innovative training content. The project  is executed in partnership by 7 organizations from Bulgaria, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Cyprus. On the Bulgarian side, the project is implemented by Mundus Bulgaria - an NGO with many years of experience in European projects for education and social inclusion.

Below you will find the training materials you can use to increase your competitiveness and labor market integration. All training resources developed are completely free and available in English, Bulgarian, Czech, Lithuanian, Greek, French, and Spanish. 

Employability Toolkit

The Employability Toolkit is composed of 10 modules showcasing the 10 most desirable soft skills for today’s labor market - leadership, communication, problem solving, teamwork, etc. Each module is made up of bite-sized lessons that are easy to understand and remember. At the end of each module, users can find a self-assessment quiz, aimed at reinforcing the newly acquired knowledge. 

Virtual Academy

The Virtual Academy is an interactive platform where each of the lessons from the Employability Toolkit can be put into practice. Once registered, users get access to gamified exercises to build on what they have learned and monitor their progress. Such exercises can be, for example, how to write a motivational letter, or enhancing decision-making skills and business acumen by guiding a pirate ship to shore. 

Toolkit for Youth Workers

The Toolkit for Youth Workers is a guide for youth workers and educators on how they can contribute to tackling the issue of migrant underemployment. It contains all evidence and data collected through the piloting activities of the project, as well as relevant instructions and guidelines, tools and resources that youth workers, VET trainers, and organizations can use to develop the employability skills of young 2nd generation migrants.

You can read more about the EMPLOY ME project in the attched file below.