- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Completed
Objectives
The objectives are:
- to support equal access to quality education and better coverage of learners' needs with activities that help them to overcome learning difficulties and education deficits;
- to develop the potential and abilities of learners for successful graduation from secondary education and for future social integration, professional and individual development;
- to reduce the share of learners who leave the education system early, as well as to reintegrate them in the education process.
Description
Within the 30-month implementation period more than 47 000 students in 1 500 schools will be involved in career guidance activities through personality development support centres across the country. The individual and group activities will motivate students for continuing education and pursuing vocational and STEM careers and support their transition to the next level and to the labour market.
The project began on 28 February 2019 and at the time was co-funded by the EU (through the Operational programme Science and education for smart growth).
In 2020, a selection of specific schools, with concentration of learners from at-risk groups, had taken place. Over 1 100 schools were listed as eligible to apply for involvement in the project's activities. In 2020, actions started with additional training for learners with lower educational achievements in different subjects. Depending on the situation in the country and in the specific school, due to the COVID-19 crisis learning could participate either physically or via distance learning in small groups of four to eight learners with similar training needs.
In 2021, more than 1 060 schools were identified as eligible to apply for involvement in the project due to their high concentration of learners at risk of early school leaving. The key priority was to ensure additional training for learners who had learning deficits and needed additional learning hours and other learning activities to improve their skills and motivation.
The project was successfully completed in mid-2022.
In the scope of its activities a total of 40 580 students were supported to overcome learning difficulties and gaps in the learning content.
A Toolkit for early identification of students at risk of prematurely leaving the education system, was developed for the needs of the project and capacity-building training was delivered to 255 trainers.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Science
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Thematic categories
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Support for success: Bulgaria. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/35832