The 14th International Stakeholder Conference of EUSDR PA9 “People and Skills” took place in Sofia: what the participants discussed

Last week, Bulgaria — which currently holds the EUSDR Presidency — hosted the 14th International Stakeholder Conference of Priority Area 9 “People and Skills” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). Together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and with the support of the Danube Region Programme and Hanns Seidel Stiftung Ukraine, the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics (UIIP) organised an event dedicated to skills, vocational education and training, labour markets, and employment policies in the countries of the Danube Region.

Among the main topics of the conference were the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034, the future of ESF+, reforms in EU candidate countries, and business engagement in vocational education and training. A separate focus was placed on challenges shared across the region: the gap between education and the labour market, workforce outflow, demographic decline, and low adult participation in learning. A great deal of attention was also given to reform coordination in EU candidate countries and to the fact that open dialogue with the European Commission is a practical necessity.

The new EU budget cycle and new rules for skills policies

One of the key conference discussions focused on how the new EU budget cycle for 2028–2034 is changing the rules for skills policies, vocational education and training, and labour markets.

One of the main conclusions was that the new Multiannual Financial Framework needs to give countries and regions more flexibility so they can respond to their own challenges and crises. Bulgaria, for example, has already invested more than EUR 400 million in skills development and upskilling through voucher schemes and employer-led training.

At the same time, the new funding logic also creates risks. As support becomes increasingly focused on results, indicators, and large strategic projects, smaller actors and vulnerable groups may lose access to it. This is why the discussion stressed that ESF+ must retain its social mandate. There was also a warning about the risk of reduced social investment if several funds are merged into one national “pot.”

For candidate countries, the takeaway was practical: do not wait until the negotiations on the new regulations are over. Start coordinating common positions and preparing themes for future transnational projects under EU Facility and Global Europe now.

Another important point from the discussion was that investment in people is investment in resilience. Lifelong learning, cross-sectoral cooperation, and longer-term social investment were directly linked to countries’ responses to crises and to changes in the labour market. There was also a separate discussion about the role of macro-regional strategies. They need to connect EU policy with practice more effectively, especially for candidate countries.

Low adult participation in learning was also among the key topics. Motivation, resources, and programme design all matter here. Programmes need to be accessible, relevant, and compatible with people’s real lives. Institutions also need to be honest about what works and what does not.

EU candidate countries: how to turn reforms into real jobs

A separate panel discussion focused on how to retain people, prepare skills for the economy of the future, and turn reforms into real jobs in EU candidate countries.

Representatives of Ukraine spoke about VET reform as part of both recovery and European integration. The key changes include the new Law on Vocational Education, supervisory boards with 50/50 parity between employers and the state, short reskilling/upskilling programmes for displaced people, and the scaling of dual education. Despite the war, more than 10,000 students are already involved in work-based learning. At the same time, financing, knowledge exchange, and partnerships all remain important. In addition, cooperation between VET institutions and business is being developed to bring workers’ qualifications closer to labour market needs.

In Moldova, reforms are focused on formalising employment and modernising social policy: 6,000 workers moved from informal to formal employment, 4,200 specialists trained under the social assistance reform, and 20,700 people employed in 2025 through the reformed National Employment Agency. At the same time, 200+ occupational standards are being developed and access to training is being expanded. Among the challenges is staff turnover caused by low salaries.

In Montenegro, the discussion focused on the transposition of 20+ EU directives into the new labour law, the digitalisation of the Employment Agency, and the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. In Serbia, the focus was on amendments to legislation on traineeships, employment, and unemployment insurance, as well as complex work on labour law amendments involving the government, trade unions, civil society, and EU experts.

The Western Balkans perspective showed just how shared these challenges are. The share of undeclared work in the region is estimated at 15–35%, more than 20% of young people are in the NEET category, adult participation in learning remains low, and more than 60% of young people would like to emigrate. Even where legislation is already in place, implementation often lags behind. This is exactly why open dialogue with the European Commission was presented as a practical necessity rather than a formal requirement.

Another important issue was retaining people. Employment programmes alone are not enough. The discussion covered housing, social conditions, quality of life, and return opportunities. Serbia referred to the “My First Salary” programme, which trains up to 10,000 young people each year. Moldova mentioned grants for teachers and medical professionals moving to rural areas, as well as a bonus programme for young people employed in strategic sectors. Ukraine stressed the need to create conditions for the return of around 5 million Ukrainians currently abroad because of the war.

In the end, the discussion brought together the issues all candidate countries are dealing with today: the gap between education and the labour market, demographic decline, emigration, the need to align legislation with EU standards, and the need for better data and stronger coordination. These are the conditions that will determine whether reforms lead to real results.

Working groups: from the role of business in VET to the transition from learning to work

During the working groups, participants focused in particular on two major themes.

The first was how to make sure that vocational education and training keeps pace with labour market needs. The discussion centred on models of public-private cooperation in VET, the role of employers, institutional capacity, and incentives for business participation.

Ukraine presented the new Law on Vocational Education, which strengthens the role of employers in the governance and development of institutions, creates conditions for broader implementation of dual education, and gives institutions greater autonomy. At the same time, a key challenge remains the practical implementation of these changes at the regional level.

Participants from different countries were united on one point: vocational education and training can no longer develop separately from employers. Skills development, curriculum renewal, practical training, and the development of competencies require constant cooperation between the state, education providers, and business.

Particular attention was paid to the issue of motivating business to engage in VET. For many companies, the barriers remain administrative complexity, additional costs, and a lack of incentives. This is why it is important to build cooperation models that are mutually beneficial for all sides. There was also a separate emphasis on the need to invest not only in equipment and infrastructure, but also in the development of teachers, who need to continuously update both their pedagogical and professional competences.

The session also presented two Erasmus+ Capacity Building in VET projects that support Ukraine and contribute to infrastructure recovery through modern training modules aligned with EU approaches. The main takeaway from this discussion was that VET reforms work only when there is a constant link between policy and practice.

The second theme focused on how to narrow the gap between vocational education and employment. At the centre were work-based learning models, Centers of Vocational Excellence (COVEs), new qualification standards, and mechanisms that help young people move more quickly from learning to work.

For Ukraine, veteran reintegration was a separate point of emphasis. Returning to civilian life requires not only social support, but also new opportunities for professional development and employment. This is why VET is increasingly seen as one of the key tools of economic and social reintegration.

Participants also discussed the alignment of qualification and education standards to make labour mobility easier and to make skills more understandable for employers across different countries. Considerable attention was paid to the development of Centers of Vocational Excellence as platforms for cooperation between education, business, public authorities, and civil society. Their value lies not only in modern infrastructure or new programmes, but above all in building durable partnerships around skills development.

A cross-cutting theme of the discussion was the need to involve all stakeholders in such partnerships — employers, education providers, public authorities, civil society organisations, and young people themselves. Without this, no model for the transition from learning to work will be effective enough.

What the conference showed

The conference once again showed how closely the topics of skills, vocational education and training, employment, and social policy are linked to the resilience and recovery of the region. For Ukraine, it was an opportunity both to present concrete changes in VET and to take part in a broader conversation about shared challenges, solutions, and next steps for the countries of the Danube Region.

And we very much hope that the next such meeting will take place in Ukraine.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and the Federal Ministry of Education of the Republic of Austria, the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova, as well as L&R Social Research.