03 Nov 2026
The third stakeholder working meeting under the SteelCityZen project took place today at the Labour Office Directorate in Stara Zagora. The international project DRP0301318 SteelCityZen is implemented by Stara Zagora Municipality under the Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027, financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund and co-financed by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. Representatives of businesses and various institutions attended the meeting.
The project brings together eight municipalities and three established European organisations, with the Labour Office Directorate in Stara Zagora serving as its local associated partner. It aims to support industrial cities in the Danube region in their transition towards more diverse, inclusive and sustainable labour markets through stronger cooperation between institutions, employers and other local stakeholders.
Georgi Gyokov, Director of the Labour Office Directorate in Stara Zagora, thanked Stara Zagora Municipality for its trust and the opportunity for the institution to be part of this important initiative. He emphasised that the project’s objectives are closely linked to the Labour Office’s daily work with both jobseekers and local businesses.
“I recognise the need for sustainable and timely solutions for our region. Industrial transformation and the green and digital transitions present both challenges and new opportunities for development. Today’s meeting provides an excellent platform to build on what has been achieved so far,” said Georgi Gyokov. In his view, active dialogue, shared experience and coordinated action between businesses, local government, educational institutions and state bodies can help build an adaptable and thriving labour market in Stara Zagora.
Rositsa Raykova, Head of the Investments, Energy Efficiency and Green Transition Department at Stara Zagora Municipality, welcomed the participants and thanked them for their constructive and productive partnership. She stressed that the labour market faces numerous challenges, making it essential to identify specific measures that will help address them in the coming years.
Rositsa Raykova noted that the project is now in its active implementation phase, with research and analysis of the main challenges facing the local labour market already completed. She highlighted the importance of this analysis, which identifies current needs and problems while also informing other areas of the municipality’s work and the planning of future action.
Georgi Gyokov added that a distinctive feature of the analysis is its broader applicability: it goes beyond the project’s activities to provide deeper insight into the restructuring of the labour market and the economy in Stara Zagora and the surrounding region.
Second SteelCityZen Stakeholder Meeting Held in Stara Zagora
A key focus of the third stakeholder meeting was Stara Zagora’s pilot action, designed to test a practical model of cooperation between Stara Zagora Municipality, the Labour Office Directorate and local businesses.
Mariana Perchemlieva, Chief Expert in the municipality’s Investments, Energy Efficiency and Green Transition Department, presented the pilot action and the partners selected following a review of companies in the region. These are VIDEOTON Bulgaria, representing manufacturing; Regiocom, representing services; and eDynamix Bulgaria, an IT company operating internationally.
During the meeting, Rositsa Raykova and Georgi Gyokov presented the memoranda of cooperation. The memoranda formalise cooperation between the municipality and businesses and establish a framework for testing a practical model involving the Labour Office Directorate in support of the local labour market. Covering a two-year period, they lay the foundations for a lasting partnership to support employment and human capital development in the municipality. If the model proves successful, other interested local employers may also join.
The partnership’s overall objective is to provide a “fast track” for employers—more direct and effective access to information, suitable candidates and opportunities to cooperate with institutions.
Joint activities will include exchanging information, organising career forums, information days and employer meetings, as well as company visits and open days. Planned training will cover teamwork, stress and time management, and burnout prevention, alongside practical training in hydrogen and green technologies and the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
Particular attention will be paid to helping unemployed people and young people find employment, prepare job applications and adapt to employers’ requirements.
Under the partnership, Stara Zagora Municipality will coordinate joint activities and offer employers priority participation in the annual WorkIn Stara Zagora career forum. The Labour Office Directorate will provide information on employment opportunities and refer suitable candidates, while employers will share their current staffing needs and the professional skills they require.
The WorkIn Stara Zagora career forum will also provide an opportunity to promote the pilot action and exchange knowledge and experience. An additional initiative under discussion is a short SteelCityZen roundtable or mini-workshop involving employers and experts. Possible topics include artificial intelligence in the workplace, the green transition and green skills, as well as resilience, adaptability and emerging skills needs.
Mariana Perchemlieva also briefed participants on progress with pilot actions in the other partner cities, presented during an online SteelCityZen meeting in September 2026. Highlighted good practices included online job platforms in Kakanj, Galați and Nikšić, the establishment of a Green Skills Co-working Hub in Kakanj, and the Career and Social Counselling Centre in Ostrava. In Dunaújváros, training for healthcare professionals is already underway, involving more than 70 participants. Other partner cities are developing lasting mechanisms for cooperation between municipalities, businesses and educational institutions.
Two free practical training sessions will take place in Stara Zagora in November 2026 under the SteelCityZen project. Monika Mintova, Junior Expert, provided detailed information about their organisation during the meeting.
The training is organised by the Institute for Sustainable Transition and Development at Trakia University in Stara Zagora, together with the Faculty of Digital and Green Technologies and the municipality’s Investments, Energy Efficiency and Green Transition Department.
The sessions will be held in person at Trakia University on two separate days:
16 November – “Practical Applications of Artificial Intelligence”;
20 November – “Hydrogen and Green Technologies: A Practical Introduction to Hydrogen Production, Storage and Use”.
Participants will be divided into groups of up to 20, allowing for active participation and practical exercises.
At the close of the meeting, Rositsa Raykova invited those present to the Digital4StaraZagora conference, taking place on 13–14 November 2026, with a focus on digital technologies and solutions that support transition processes.
The forum will explore opportunities for successful digitalisation and the practical application of technologies to support businesses.
More about the project: https://www.starazagora.bg/bg/proekti-s-mezhdunarodno-satrudnichestvo/proekt-drp0301318-steelcityzen-/stiyl-siti-zen/-po-evropeyskata-transnatsionalna-programa-interreg-dunavski-region-2021-2027
