Pernik Integrated Development Project - Bulgaria

Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Policy

• Project management
• Objective of the project
• Eligibility
• Initiatives that the project supports
• Examples of eligible projects
  • Skills acquisition
  • Entrepreneurship preparation
  • Employment promotion
  • Environmental Regeneration Initiatives

Project management

This is a pilot project financed by EU that provides technical and financial assistance to overcome the social impact of industrial restructuring in Pernik.

The Ministry of labour and Social Policy (MLSP) is the project implementing authory.

The British Council manages the team of consultants providing tehnical assistance from project offices based in Pernik and Sofia.

The Pernik Regional Employment Council (PREC) is the local project counterpart in Pernik.

To implement a Scheme to support job creation and environmental regeneration projects that assist redundant workers to regain employment.

Eligibility

The target beneficiaries are all unemployed or redundant workers from Mini Pernik and Stomana and their supporting industries, as members of their families, living within the territory covered by the Pernik, Radomir and Breznik municipalities.

The ministry encourages organisations to submit applications as a group but projects from individual applicants will also be concidered. At least one of the organisations must be registered in Pernik and, in the case of a group of organisations, one should be nominated as the lead body. The lead body must be legally able to conclude a contract with the MLSP.

Organisations eligible to apply could include:

• associations of entrepreneurs;

• professinal bodies;

• trade unions;

• employers organisations;

• chambers of commerce and industry;

• NGOs;

• universities;

• training institutions (secondary and vocational shools etc)

• research institutes;

• municipalities;

• public and private sector companies; and

• co-operatives

Initiatives that the project supports

Two types of project may be assisted from the Grant Scheme:

• projects that support employment initiatives, including training, employment promotion and entrpreneurship preparation
• projects that support environmental regeneration, providing training and employment to participants.

Each project must be able to offer a minimum of 10% of its total resourse needs in the form of a local contribution.

The Pernik pilot project ends in October 2001. All projects funded under the Grant Scheme will need to be completed by this date.

Examples of eligible projects

Skills acquisition

Initiatives under this part of the Scheme will help workers to develop new skills and make the transition from their current job to one that is more relevant to the type of available job in the current labour market. For exaple:

• Projects that focus upon training uneployed people in book-keeping, computing and information management skills, horticulture, technology and other vocational skills.
• Supporting Job Club actiivities, that create skills in job seeking.

Entrepreneurship preparation

This area of activity will focus upon actions that promote the development of enterprises, with an emphasis upon local businesses and small new enterprises.

For example:

• A business incubator unit providing suitable premises for small new enterprises.
• A business advisory agency, providing support servises to small new enterprises.
• A "quality centre" to encourage and facilitate local companies market their goods by reaching recognised quality standarts.

Employment promotion

Employment promotion refers to projects that stimulate investment in enterprises, which in turn create sustainable jobs. For example:

• Projects encouraging employers: to hire unemployed people and provide them with opportunities for on the-job training; as a means to introduce flexible employment skills, expand employment and improve productivity; or facilitate new businesss start-ups.
• "Quuick start" type project geared towards providing for a specific vocation.
• A joint marketing and promotion service for non-competing enterprises.

Environmental Regeneration Initiatives

Environmental Regeneration projects that have trining and job creaton elements. For example.

• Return former industrial land to agricultural use;
• Create a community facility, such as park or childrens play area;
• Refubish a disused industrial building to make it suitable for community purposes.
• Renovate and re-display open-air art works.

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