Over 85,000 vouchers issued by the MLSP for free trainings with European co-financing

Over 85,000 vouchers for trainings for acquiring key competences and professional qualification with European co-financing under programs and measures of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) were provided for free.  Over 30,000 certificates for basic and intermediate digital skills were issued by the Center for Human Resource Development and Regional Initiatives (HRDDRI). This is the information provided by the Employment Agency and CHRDRI operational data currently. The application for and conduct of the trainings is as much facilitated as possible by providing electronic vouchers for them and the opportunity to learn in an online environment.

The measures, funded under the Human Resources Development Programme 2021 – 2027 (HRDP), co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus, provide an opportunity for employed and unemployed persons to be included in trainings for professional qualification, key competences and digital skills. Now they are boosted with large-scale trainings for basic and intermediate digital skills, funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

Persons having interest can apply for electronic vouchers for inclusion in these trainings through the website of the Employment Agency. Currently, there are three active training measures with European co-financing.

For working and the self-employed persons who want to undergo trainings to increase their digital skills, an opportunity is provided through the project Qualification, Skills and Career Development of Employees, funded under HRD 2021-2027. There are electronic vouchers under this project issued for trainings for acquiring or improving professional qualifications, as well as for the acquisition of language, STEM, transferable and soft skills. Since the end of May 2024, when the application process was opened, vouchers have been issued to more than 15,600 people.

From mid-July 2024, applications for inclusion in trainings under measure Starting a Job - Component 2. Training began. Under it, unemployed and inactive candidates can participate in free language courses, competency trainings in the field of precise sciences, technology and engineering, entrepreneurship, personal and social competence. After completing the trainings, people will be consulted for employment.

From the end of 2023, again through the website of the Employment Agency, unemployed and employed persons can apply for an electronic voucher for training for basic and intermediate level of digital skills. They are financed by funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The focus is on vulnerable groups - without digital literacy, with Roma origin, low education, low or missing digital skills, elderly persons, etc. Up-to-date, more than 68,000 vouchers have been issued under the measure.

An announcement for initiating applications for trainings under the Digital Skills measure, funded by the HRDP, is forthcoming. This measure aims at unemployed and inactive people on the labor market.  With funds from the NRRP, a Module for self-certification of digital skills acquired through non-formal or informal learning has also been created. The module is available on the CHRDRI website and for a month and a half about 700 people took the advantage for receiveing a certificate.

By the end of the previous programming period, more than 500,000 people have been trained with European co-financing under the Human Resources Development Operational Program.