Action plan for Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015: more than 45,000 Roma in Bulgaria covered by various activities

More than 300 Roma were included in programmes promoting entrepreneurship. A total of 290 meetings, roundtables, seminars and discussions were organized to encourage the social dialogue in support of the Roma’s realization on the labour market. The structures of the Employment Agency in regions with prevailing Roma population hired 14 representatives of the Roma community.

Ten specialized labour exchanges in areas with compact Roma population were organized since the start of the year whose aim was to facilitate Roma’s access to information about job vacancies and help them establish direct contacts with employers. A total of 164 employers participated in such exchanges where a total of 2,445 job vacancies were announced. As at September, 910 people have been hired at such jobs.

Various projects worth in total 2.9 million euros are being implemented for the social and economic integration of Roma people in the Bulgarian society. The expected results from the projects include that 1,000 people from minorities to be provided with business training and consultancies for business start-up support; 2,000 long-term unemployed from minority groups provided with vocational training in marketable craft skills and/or agricultural skills; 300 beneficiaries from minority groups, provided with vocational training, become self-employed or find permanent employment in the private sector. At least five Agricultural Support Centers are to be established and as many Crafts Support Centers.

A National Programme for initial literacy and qualification of Roma people started at the beginning of May whose implementation will absorb 1.4 million leva. By enrolling in different courses the Roma will acquire skills for tailoring, garden design, herb gathering, plant growing, fish breeding, among others.

Twelve jobs were opened in projects of six municipal administrations for healthcare mediators to work with minority communities while 33 per cent of the hired workers under the Beautiful Bulgaria project were Roma.

Roma with secondary eduction are being hired as assistant teachers for out-of-school work with Roma children under a project УTeachers for Out-of-School Activities and Holiday.

Two business centers were build and opened in the Roma housing estates in Bourgas, Southeastern Bulgaria, and Pazardjik, Southern Bulgaria, under a pilot initiative Employment for Roma funded through the Swiss Agency for International Development.

Source: The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, BTA