Milena Kyoseva, Deputy Director of CHRDRI, announced in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio: Bulgarian citizens over 16 years of age can now validate their digital competencies for free.

In an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, Milena Kyoseva, Deputy Director of the Center for Human Resources Development and Regional Initiatives (CHRDRI) for the educational, methodological and international activities, shared important news regarding the structure of the Center on the occasion of its 20th anniversary.

She emphasized the structural and territorial expansion of the CHRDRI and the new opportunities provided therefore for training and professional development. Besides the Sofia location, the Center already offers a wide range of trainings for professional qualification and retraining in the cities of Burgas, Pleven, Pazardzhik, Smolyan and Stara Zagora.

Milena Kyoseva explained that one of the main goals of the institution is to provide more people with the opportunity to acquire the skills in demand by the business and to find quality and sustainably paid work.

In the interview, Ms. Kyoseva also pointed out that since the beginning of 2024, more than 16,000 people have completed digital skills trainings and received certificates from CHRDRI as a Unified Certification Center. The trainings are held within the framework of a project funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. This initiative provides an opportunity for both unemployed and working persons to receive a voucher for free training by submitting an electronic application on the website of the Employment Agency. "Also, from June 2024, CHRDRI has launched a Module for self-certification of digital competence," said Milena Kyoseva. According to her, this module allows citizens over 16 years of age to test their knowledge for free and receive a certificate that certifies a basic or intermediate level of digital skills. "This certificate is legitimate not only in Bulgaria, but throughout the European Union, which significantly increases the opportunities for labor mobility and professional development of certified persons," she added.

Last but not least, Ms. Kyoseva emphasized the importance of these initiatives to increase the competitiveness of Bulgarian workers and to support their professional development. "By expanding its activities and introducing new opportunities for training and certification, CHRDRI continues to play a key role in the development of human resources in Bulgaria," concluded the Deputy Director of the Center.

You can hear the whole interview on the website of BNR under the title – A Center related to the Ministry of Labor and Social policy (MLSP) provides certificates for digital skills, valid for the whole EU - Highlights of the program (bnr.bg)