1. Fighting youth unemployment –
Joint ETUI/EZA Working group on
“Youth Unemployment in Europe: on e of the biggest
challenges for workers` organisations in the Social Dialogue”
Brussels, 19 February 2014
Fighting youth unemployment –
best practices of positive participation of trade unions in Bulgaria
Daniela Aleksieva
President of CITUB` Youth organisation

2. CITUB/ KNSB Institute for Social and Trade Union Research
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB/ KNSB) - the biggest national representative trade union organization in Bulgaria
CITUB representing the interests of about employees in Bulgaria
Affiliated organisations:
35 affiliated sectoral / branch federations, trade unions and unions
8 associated members (artists, musicians, dancers, domestic workers, etc. )
16 local trade unions
Horizontal structure:
27 Regional Councils and 196 Municipal Coordinators all over the country
Youth Forum 21st Century – youth non-government organisation,
established by CITUB in 1999.
Workers Education and Training Collage (WETCO) - established by CITUB. It provides: trade union trainings; vocational training and training on key
competetnces; professional and career orientation and consultation.
Target groups: trade union members; employed and unemployed
At present, CITUB representing the interests of about employees in Bulgaria
- 20 % of members - on age under 35
- 80 % of members – on age 35 and over
- 51 % of members – men
- 49 % of members – women
(The data is from 2012)
Institute for Social and Trade Union Research
Workers Education and Training College
Women Parliament 21st Century (women organisation)
Youth Forum 21st Century (youth NGO)
Trusted trade union lawyers network
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB

3. Main challenges for young people in Bulgaria
High youth unemployment rate – about 29 %; (60 % of them are without qualification and 47% of them – with basic and lower education); general unemployment rate – about 12 %
Some of the main causes of youth unemployment are: the mismatch between the qualifications of young people and labour market needs, structural economic shifts and the erosion of pubic spending on integrated pro-employment strategies.
Lack of practical orientation in the secondary schools and universities;
Lack of practical and professional experience after leaving the educational system;
High percentage of young people dropped out of the educational system %;
Within the EU-27 Bulgaria has among the highest level of youth that are neither in employment or education (NEETS) - 24,6 % (15,4 % - EU level ).
Many young people see prospects for professional and personal progress only abroad;

4. Fighting the youth unemployment:
National Initiative “Jobs for Young People in Bulgaria” 2012 – 2013, adopted by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers
National Agreement “First Job”- signed on 6 June 2012 by the Government and social partners.
- The aim is to create new opportunities for young people in the labour market and to provide employment for at least of them, reducing the youth unemployment rate by 5% by the end of the programme in 2013.
- It includes a package of 8 programmes and initiatives for young people to be funded under the National Employment Action Plan and the Operational Programme “Human Resources Development” They includes implementation of measures and services aimed at activation, provision of information, consultation, training and employment to young people up to 29 years.

5. National Agreement “First Job”
Contribution of social partner to the implementation of the agreement:
dissemination of information on the existing opportunities for youth employment;
encouraging employers to recruit young people on labour contracts (in permanent jobs, internships and temporary work), providing opportunities to acquire initial work experience after leaving education;
participation in the review of the existing legislation and implemented programmes, and proposing changes to promote youth employment.
Legislation framework – Labour Code, Law of vocational education and training, Employment Promotional Act etc.

6. Youth guarantee
National plan for implementation of the European Youth Guarantee – submitted by the Council of Ministers on 18 December 2013 and the implementation was foreseen from 1 January 2014 with measures and programmes funded by the state budget;
The main goal of the YG Plan is to reduce the youth unemployment rate down to 7 %;
The Plan consist of 2 main parts:
- preventive part – measures aiming to encourage young people to seek jobs, complete an additional qualification or finish their education;
- measures to integrate and re-integrate young people in the LM;
Coordinational Council – to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Plan; chared by the Minister of labour and social policy and with the participation of social partners, youth organisation etc.

7. National Employment Action Plan
Adopted by the Bulgarian government after discussions in the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation; draw up in cooperation with the social partners;
Consisted of active labour market measures aiming at achieving the Europe 2020 employment goals, esp. for young and older people, and for those who are disabled or who have no qualifications;
One of the main targets of the plan since 2010 are unemployed people up to 29 years old with a focus on the youth group of unemployed up to 25 years old;
Some examples of active labour market programmes, focused on the integration of young people at the labour market, which were proposed by CITUB and included in NEAP and OP HRD (ESF):
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

8. “From school to work in tourism” (NEAP 2010)
- 3- month paid internship in tourism enterprises;
- 60 young people had chance to be part of the internship program and 25 % of them continued working for the same employer after it.
“This is your chance to find yourself” (NEAP 2011) :
- professional orientation and motivation program for 280 early school levers;
- 50 % of the group received 6-month paid internship with a mentor and minimum wage of 120 Euro/month;
- 30 % of the interns signed labour contracts after the internship.
Project “Chance to work” (NEAP 2012):
- one of the target groups are young people aged up to 29 years;
-the aim is to improve employability of young people through provision of trainings, professional orientation and consultation, motivation and apprenticeships;
- results : 409 young people participated in trainings for professional orientation and motivation, 323 – apprenticeships for a period from 4 to 6 months and 225 of them continuing working at the same place after the end of the program;
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

9. Project “Chance to work” (NEAP 2014):
- one of the target groups are young people aged up to 29 years old and with a focus on the youth group up to 25 years old who are low educated, without qualification and who dropped out of the school system;
-the aim of the project is to improve employability of young people through following activities:
- providing package of guidance, motivation training and vocational training for 400 young unemployed people;
- 3-months internship for 40 % of the young people, who successfully finished the training program
- partners of the project – Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Employment Agency and its local Labour Offices, Regional offices of CITUB; WETCO and National company “Railway infrastructure”
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

10. Educational Campaign “My First Workplace”
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

11. Educational campaign “My First Workplace”
Launched on 5 November 2011
Initiated by CITUB in partnership with the Union of Bulgarian Teachers; Ministry of Education and Science; Workers Education and Training College (WETCO) and NGO “Youth Forum 21st Century”
Team of the teachers – trade unionists from teachers union and regional offices of CITUB
Target group: secondary-school graduates
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

12. Educational campaign “My First Workplace”
The campaign aims:
- to enhance the civil consciousness of the secondary-school graduates;
- to facilitate their transition from school to the labour market;
- to stimulate their successful adaptation to the world of labour;
- to promote their career development;
- to inform the students about different measures against the shadow economy (work without an labour contract, etc.).
It is the first initiative of its kind in Bulgaria and promotes decent work performance of young people entering the labour market.
The campaign was also supported and partially financed by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

13. Educational campaign “My First Workplace”
MATERIALS AND TOOLS :
Manual for the teachers
Manual for the graduates
Website -
Attractive youth video “My first Workplace” -
Mini books and brochures on the following 9 topics:
I want to go to work
I’m beginning work
My work remuneration
Protection from risks at the workplace and in life – compulsory insurance
Working time, breaks and leaves – can I manage them alone and how?
Safe and qualified work – whom it depends on?
Once I start working, can I change anything?
How can I quit if I don’t like something?
Who follows the observation of the workers’ rights? Where and how can I find them?
Working abroad is interesting. Are there any rules?”.
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

15. Educational campaign “My First Workplace”
RESULTS (two school years 2011 – 2012 and )
3825 teachers from 280 cities in Bulgaria have been trained to be trainers on the topic of labour, social and trade unions rights for the purpose of the campaign;
Over secondary-school graduates have been trained within the frames of the campaign;
10 classes (1 topic /1 class) – graduates acquired basic knowledge concerning their labour and social rights: finding work, starting work, necessary documents, remuneration, working time, health and safety at work, social security contributions, quitting work, work abroad, etc.
The second aspect of the campaign is connected with organising informational youth campaigns at regional level by the members and volunteers of Youth Forum 21st Century. The main purpose was to raise awareness of young people about how to make easier the transition from school to work and to know about their basic labour, social and trade unions rights.
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Daniela Aleksieva, CITUB/KNSB

16. Information campaigns and youth actions
information campaigns and youth activities
2013 – 12 informational campaigns and youth activities

17. Job and career fairs
Information materials and professional labour advice by trade union experts

18. Thank you for the attention!
GET TRAINED!
BE INFORMED!
GET ORGANISED!
Daniela Aleksieva
President of CITUB` Youth organisation
1, Macedonia Sq.
1040 Sofia, Bulgaria
knsb-bg.org ;
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CITUB/KNSB