For the first time in Bulgaria sectoral qualification frameworks for the development of digital competences have been developed and validated
Bulgarian Industrial Association established sectoral councils for digital skills in 16 economic sectors as a permanent, public body for coordination and interaction between stakeholders in the field of digital skills of the workforce.
The Sectoral Councils for Digital Skills (SCDS) were established within the project "Ready for digital transformation through joint actions of social partners for the development of specific digital skills of the workforce in enterprises", implemented by BIA in partnership with the MLSP and CITUB, and funded by OP "Human Resources Development".
Their main objective is to help people and businesses adapt to the transition to digital transformation and digital jobs. The focus of their activities is on creating the conditions for the development of digital skills that match business strategies and the sector-specific needs and requirements related to the integration of digital technologies.
The Sectoral Councils for Digital Skills will perform the following functions:
- Analysing the current state of the labour market, developing opinions and measures to overcome the imbalances in the demand and supply of digital skills;
- Validate and periodically update the sectoral qualification framework for the development of digital competences of the workforce;
- Researching trends, forecasting future needs for digital skills and providing proposals for updating and adapting curricula and programmes in vocational and higher education to labour market requirements;
- Evaluating the quality and effectiveness of qualifications and training offered in the field of digital skills, providing opinions and recommendations for their improvement in line with the needs of the sector.
More than 120 employers, trade unionists, human resource managers, representatives of higher and vocational education institutions, representatives of organisations and institutions operating on the labour market, and other stakeholders take part in the SCDS.
For the first time in Bulgaria, sectoral qualification frameworks for the development of digital competences in the workforce have been developed and validated by the SCDS. Their aim is to:
- provide a common basis for collaboration between business, education and other stakeholders in developing digital skills in the workforce;
- define standards for competence and for the successful performance of employees in the digital transition and digital transformation;
- complement the system for forecasting future digital skills needs of the sector workforce;
- lay the basis for the application of the competency-based approach in education, training (formal, non-formal, informal) in the field of digital technologies;
- contribute to the adaptation of curricula, curricula, programmes and teaching content in vocational education and training and higher education to the sector and labour market specific digital skills requirements of the workforce;
- define descriptors for the assessment of learning outcomes;
- support systems for assessing company training needs in digital skills;
- provide direction for self-directed learning, acquisition and sustainable development of digital skills across the lifecycle.
The sectoral qualification frameworks for the development of digital competences in the workforce have been developed in line with the requirements of the European Framework for Digital Competences for Citizens DigiComp and are available on the project website http://digital.bia-bg.com.
The practical application of sectoral qualification frameworks can cover the following areas (activities):
- drafting state educational requirements and curricula and programmes;
- defining digital literacy learning outcome units;
- validation of informally acquired knowledge, skills and digital competences;
- assessing the quality and effectiveness of qualifications and training offered for the development of digital skills;
- developing a network of micro-qualifications in digital skills;
- forecasting the need for new digital skills;
- recruitment;
- human resource training and development;
- performance management;
- change and transition management.
