The President of the Economic and Social Council participated in the opening of the National Scientific Conference “Human Resource Sustainability for a Competitive Economy” of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (AICB) in cooperation with the Institute for Economic Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Zornitsa Rusinova congratulated the organizers for choosing a topic that is not often discussed, but on which the development of business, workers and society depends.
The event brought together established academics, researchers and institutional representatives to discuss key issues related to forecasting the skills of the future, the impact of the green and digital transition on the labour market, and the need for new policies and tools to support the workforce during dynamic economic transformations. The Vice-Chairman of ESC and Secretary General of AICB Assoc. Milena Angelova.
“The ESC has been working on these issues and has kept a focus on investment in human capital for years. I believe that this conference is a good first step in which we will be able to meet more and more the interests of the three groups in Bulgarian society that are represented in ESC – Bulgarian business, trade unions and civil society organizations,” said Rusinova on the occasion of the recently signed Memorandum of Cooperation between the two institutions.
She recalled that ESC has drafted a number of acts that deal with topics related to the professional qualification and training of employees.
“This year we are also focusing on the skills issue – in two of the upcoming acts – on regional imbalances and on seasonal employment, the skills and qualifications issue also finds a place. We will also pay attention to generational differences in the team and the ways in which human resources can be managed in such a situation”, said Zornitsa Rusinova. The issue is on the agenda because about 25% of the workforce in the coming years will be Gen Z, who are different from those working now.
This year, ESC is to develop and adopt a position paper on “Measures to manage age differences in the workplace in the context of the competitiveness of enterprises in Bulgaria”. The aim is to help the leadership of private and public sector organisations implement effective solutions and sustainable policies for managing multi-generational teams.
The contemporary work environment is characterised by generational differences resulting from various social, economic, technological and cultural factors. They influence people’s values and behaviours at different stages of their lives, and this often affects the way work ethics, communication, motivation, learning and development methods are perceived.
The position paper seeks solutions to improve employee productivity and engagement by leveraging individual strengths and understanding differences in people’s preferences. How to ensure training, mutual development and the creation of an environment for the exchange of knowledge and experience between generations, what is the role of the social partners in terms of age diversity in the workplace are other questions that are raised.
In May 2023, ESC adopted a position paper on “Necessary amendments to the Vocational Education and Training Act”, which addresses the introduction and possible approaches for the implementation in national practice of the Council Recommendation on individual training accounts and the Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials to promote lifelong learning and employability. In July 2021, an own-initiative opinion on the European Action Plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights was also developed.
