The Economic and Social Council (ESC) of Bulgaria with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Municipality of Kyustendil is organising a regional round table on the topic “From Education to Employment: Opportunities for Young People in Kyustendil district” on 1^st December 2014.

The forthcoming discussion is the sixth one of a series of regional round tables which the ESC holds in the country. Mayors from the region, representatives of MES and MLSP and their regional structures, principals and teachers, students, active employers as well as representatives of the structures of trade unions and employers' organisations in the field, ESC members and others are invited to attend the forum.

Over the past two years the ESC has organised a number of regional round tables which focused the public attention on topical issues of different districts and regions. With the current discussion the ESC directs the public attention on the problems of early school leaving as a significant problem for Bulgaria, which leads to serious economic, social and public consequences, and on overcoming youth unemployment at regional level.

The purpose of the round table is to present and discuss recommendations for measures and actions, adopted in ESC acts, related to early school leavers and youth unemployment by identifying the problems and promoting best practices in Kyustendil district.

In a separate session actions to support young people and tackling youth unemployment at local level will be discussed as well as the launch of the European initiative “Youth Guarantee”. The participants will be presented the opportunities for qualification and employment which are provided by the Operational Programme “Human Resources Development” for 2014-2020.