Bulgaria: integration of Ukrainian refugees in VET and the labour market

Education

Actions focused on establishing quick procedures for the immediate integration of Ukrainian children to State and municipal kindergartens and schools (this has been the primary goal for Bulgarian authorities). The 28 regional departments of education (RDEs) receive applications to enrol children in kindergartens or schools from Ukrainians who have applied for or already received international or temporary protection. Depending on their age, grade, location and preference of their parents, Ukrainian learners are directed to specific education institutions. The aim is to complete this preparatory work expeditiously so that refugees can begin learning as soon as they receive official legal status in Bulgaria.

Children of parents with dual citizenship can be admitted to a kindergarten or school following a different procedure from the one described above.

If there is no official documentation on previous educational attainment, then an interview is conducted and Ukrainian children are directed to an appropriate preschool group of compulsory preschool education or to an appropriate grade of school education, in accordance to the provisions of the ‘Ordinance of 6.4.2017 on the terms and conditions for admission and education of persons seeking or having been granted international protection’.

Each RDE has experts who are trained and experienced in the reception and training of children. This mechanism has existed since 2015 (when it was established to receive Syrian refugees).

Following the enrolment in a kindergarten or school, the principal has the responsibility to provide:

• additional training in Bulgarian as a foreign language;
• psychological support, if necessary, and support for each learner’s personal development.
• Additional resources are available for learners with special educational needs.
• To optimise the support provided to all learners and promote inclusive education, principals may seek assistance from RDEs.

A learning plan is designed by a school learning committee for each learner. Teachers who can teach Bulgarian as a foreign language may offer extra classes. If a school does not have such teachers, then civil contract teachers may be hired. The same rule applies if teachers for other lessons/subjects are needed. Additional training in the Bulgarian language (and other subjects) makes the integration of Ukrainian learners easier. E-learning is possible, in which case learners receive electronic devices for temporary use.

There is a procedure for the recognition of prior learning for VET learners, which also includes documentation of professional qualifications. In this context, recognition is considered the process of ‘referencing’ professional qualifications acquired in a foreign country or in a VET school of an EU Member State to Bulgarian qualifications. This recognition is necessary to access the vocational system or higher education or even to ease access to the labour market.

The validation of informal and non-formal learning is also possible for persons who were granted refugee or temporary protection status. Professional knowledge, skills and competences are validated according to the same terms and conditions that apply for Bulgarian citizens.

All these actions have been made possible by changing certain aspects of the project Equal access to school education in times of crisis, implemented under the operational programme Science and education for smart growth 2014-20, jointly financed with the European Union. The aim of the project is to prevent the interruption of the educational process and to provide conditions for inclusive education, as well as appropriate resources for accessing quality education through e-learning. The project targets all learner groups – vulnerable groups included – and its scope has been expanded to include Ukrainian learners now studying in Bulgarian schools.

Labour market integration

Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection, asylum or international protection status and their family members have the right to work in Bulgaria without a special permit. Persons with refugee status or under humanitarian protection can register as jobseekers with the Labour Office at their permanent or current address.

The Asylum and Refugees Act introduces the requirement of Article 12 of the Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for granting temporary protection status. According to this article, foreign citizens enjoying temporary protection have the right to work and to participate in continuing VET (CVET) (usually after having their professional knowledge, skills and competences validated).

The programme Employment and training of refugees, aims to raise their employability prospects by training them in the Bulgarian language or for the acquisition of a professional qualification. Employers who employ ‘refugees’ (regardless of their specific legal status) are reimbursed minimum wages and social security contributions.

Ukrainians may also benefit from other labour market rights; for example, they have the right to seasonal work for up to 90 days in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, hotels and restaurants in Bulgaria without interruption within 12 months.

Over 70% of Ukrainian refugees are ready to start work immediately according to a survey conducted by Bulgarian authorities. Bulgarian businesses have offered various jobs to Ukrainian refugees (job fairs are also held in some places), most of them in the field of information technology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical technology, food technology and tourism. Among the most popular positions are those of secretaries, hotel administrators, cashiers, catering employees, and production workers.

In June 2022, the Bulgarian Employment Agency started the implementation of the project Solidarity, funded by the operational programme Human resources development 2014-20. The project aims to provide support for the rapid labour integration of displaced Ukrainian citizens, who arrived in Bulgaria after 24 February 2022. Ukrainian citizens may receive:

•  psychological support;
•  vocational guidance;
•  employment counselling and motivation to start work;
• inclusion in subsidised full-time or part-time employment on the basis of a minimum wage for a period of up to 3 months;
• support in the workplace through a mentor provided by the employer (a mentor is appointed if the employer considers that it is necessary for the adjustment of the Ukrainian citizen. The mentor should support their integration into the work process). Mentors who are specialised in refugee support may receive an integration renumeration supplement for a period up to 3 months.

Good practices

The existence of a variety of educational material specifically designed for training Ukrainian refugees in the Bulgarian language can be considered a good practice (e.g. Bulgarian language textbooks for levels A1, A2 and B1, including audio files, developed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)). Many organisations also provide free language courses for refugees.

Another good practice is a new structure in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria: a Bureau for information and services for third-country nationals; it is one of most popular services among Ukrainian refugees, mostly assisting their effective access to the labour market. By the end of May 2022, mobile units of the Employment Agency visited more than 1 100 sites where Ukrainian refugees reside, and more than 2 700 people filled out a survey form for their readiness to start work. Finally, a specialised job platform was created, where employers can advertise vacancies in their companies and jobseekers can find the information they need.

Main challenges

The need for Ukrainian refugees to certify a level of proficiency in the Bulgarian language for the purposes of starting professional training in a VET centre is considered as the main challenge in integrating Ukrainian refugees in education.

Read more

• Platform Bulgaria for Ukraine – section Education
• State Agency for Refugees with the Council of Ministers information for Ukrainian refugees
• Ministry of Labour and Social Policy web page – Labour-market-relevant information for Ukrainian refugees
• Ministry of Education and Science web page – Information for Ukrainian learners
• Bureau for information and services for third-country nationals – Homepage
• The Sofia Municipal Privatization and Investment Agency (Invest Sofia) web page
• Sofia Development Association