Cooperation between schools, universities and business – concrete solutions and opportunities was the main topic of the held today working meeting within the framework of the EDU-LAB project in Vratsa. “We want our children, who gained knowledge and competencies, to stay in our cities and not to be exploited in the Netherlands, Germany and some other European countries”, said at the opening of the forum the mayor of Vratsa Kalin Kamenov. “The aim of this project is to be of assistance to schools and not to compete for the number of vocational classes, but for their quality”, he added.
Cooperation between universities, schools and the business environment will help to shape the labor market policies, said Dr. Eng. Kiril Zhelyazkov, Director General at the Bulgarian Industrial Association. “Our main goal with this project is to make a transition to future policy with industry representatives. Our ultimate goal is to draw up a political document to be signed in Zagreb on 19 May 2019. This political charter has a practical focus and will outline our political platform in the next stage of our development in the European Union,” explained Zhelyazkov.
Pilot development of curricula and events will lead to specific decisions in higher schools. By June 2019, branch organizations must seek their opinion.
In the coming months, two centers of competence in the field of mechatronics are expected to be established.
Such a center will be opened in Vratsa, said Diana Varganova, President of Rommtech. By decision of 27 September 2018 such a cluster was registered in Vratsa. It will start to operate within a week. There is an opportunity for its financial provision, specified Zhelyazkov.
Priority for Bulgaria is tourism, which has a good synchronization of education and business environment, and it is expected that the profession of expert marketing will be established and developed. Attention will also be paid to the chemical industry by creating the profession basic engineer of chemical processes.
Participants in the discussion were representatives of the Technical University of Sofia, representatives of the Municipality of Vratsa and the Institute for the Study of Society and Knowledge at BAS, representatives of the business - members of BIA, representatives of the Industrial Cluster “Mechatronics and Automation”, Bulgarian Tourist Chamber, Bulgarian Chamber of Chemical Industry, Ecological Engineering Association, Regional Industrial Association - Vratsa, Galina Evdenova - Head of Regional Inspectorate of Education - Vratsa, Desimira Nikolova - Human Resources Manager at HOLCIM-Bulgaria.
