site.btaBulgarian, Slovenian NGOs Partner in Vulnerable Women Empowerment Project

NGOs of Bulgaria and Slovenia continue their partnership within a 27-month project titled "EURIBOR: Promoting sustainable actions for empowerment of vulnerable groups of youth women", which is financed by the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment, the Bulgarian Embassy in Ljubljana said on its website.

The project, due for completion by January 31, 2024, seeks to reach three hundred and eighty 24-29 years old women in a vulnerable position from targeted regions (small towns and rural areas) in Bulgaria, Italy, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. Such women are socially disadvantaged because they are long-term unemployed, are not involved education or training, are migrants or minority members, and/or are mothers with numerous family responsibilities. The purpose is to improve their employment situation and increase their social inclusion through project partners' transnational and regional cooperation with local stakeholders, employability programmes and on-the-job training, and online courses supplemented with mentoring.

The EURIBOR project involves 12 organizations from eight EU Member States: Bulgaria, Slovenia, Spain, Malta, Italy, Germany, Austria and Poland, working at the local or regional level.

Bulgaria is represented by the Agency for Regional and Economic Development in Vratsa and the Bulgarian-German Centre for Vocational Training (a state-owned enterprise with branches in Pleven, Smolyan, Pazardjik, Stara Zagora and Sofia). The Slovenian participant is the Obala Vocational Centre of Izola.

So far, the project has assisted 275 active joib seekers and the creation of 12 steady jobs. Another 110 women are starting their own business.

By the end of 2023, 90% of the project beneficiaries will be prepared to put to practice the knowledge and skills they have acquired after overcoming cultural and language barriers, upgrading their computer literacy, and learning how to write a CV and get ready for an interview with potential employers.