MEET NADYA: FROM JOB-SEEKER TO THRIVING SOCIAL WORKER

Nadya Koteva, a dedicated social worker, has embarked on a successful new career at a Health Recovery Center. Her journey is a powerful example of how targeted training and community support can open doors to new professional opportunities—at any stage of life.

Nadya is one of the participants in the training programme under the Sinclusive project, organized by SofiaLab. She completed the full programme, progressing from the introductory course on personal skills and motivation in November 2024 to the final course on digital skills in November 2025.

After losing her job about a year earlier, Nadya registered at the local Labour Office in a small town near Sofia. She recalls that labour offices in smaller communities often provide limited opportunities for training or reskilling, while available job openings are frequently filled even before they are officially announced. Based on her experience, discrimination against women aged 50+ remains widespread and visible.

Nadya discovered the SofiaLab courses on Facebook. Joining the first course on personal skills and motivation gave her the “confidence and self-esteem” she needed to apply for a position at the Recovery Center. Learning alongside people facing similar challenges created an inclusive and supportive environment that she found both motivating and empowering. Nadya says the course helped her “build confidence, communicate better, and present herself and her strengths” more effectively during the job interview. She received an offer immediately after the interview.

Now, six months into her new role, Nadya describes her work as deeply “energizing and rewarding,” despite the inevitable challenges. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the SofiaLab programme and to begin a new stage in my career. Beyond the new skills, the most important result for me is the belief in my own abilities and the strength to move forward independently.”

Nadya’s story is equally inspiring for the SDA and SofiaLab teams. Her only suggestion for improvement is to extend the duration of the courses. To date, more than 100 participants have successfully completed the programme, and Nadya is among those who have confidently re-entered the labour market.

For more information about Synclusive and its upcoming activities, visit https://synclusiveproject.eu and follow us on LinkedIn and X.       

OVER 100 PARTICIPANTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE SDA AND SOFIALAB SYNCLUSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM

On November 21, 2025, the Sofia Development Association (SDA) and Young Talents 50+ proudly celebrated the successful completion of their training program within the Synclusive project. Over 100 participants have now enhanced their digital and professional skills, positioning themselves to find better opportunities in the labor market.

The program, which began in November 2024, offered a series of free courses focused on personal skills, motivation, and green and digital skills. These courses were designed for job seekers or career changers, particularly women and men over 50. The goal was to improve their professional capabilities in areas such as communication, job search strategies, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity (including data protection and working with public digital services), and more.

In addition to the training sessions, the program included meetings with employers to further support participants in their job search efforts. We are pleased to share that several participants have already secured new positions as a result of the program.

This initiative is part of SDA and SofiaLab's ongoing efforts to enhance employment opportunities for people over 50 in Sofia, with a special focus on women. This demographic faces a range of challenges in the labor market, including discrimination based on age and gender, as well as a lack of targeted programs to improve qualifications and retention in the workplace. There is a growing need for personalized, affordable, and flexible training and support programs for individuals over 50.

We are inspired by the enthusiasm and willingness to learn demonstrated by our participants. Their stories motivate us to continue developing successful learning formats and building communities of like-minded individuals. We will also be meeting with employers and labor policy experts to share insights from the program and explore new initiatives.

Stay connected with the SDA page for updates on the project, as well as access to research, analyses, and best practices from international project partners on the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the labor market.

For more information about Synclusive and its upcoming activities, visit https://synclusiveproject.eu and follow us on LinkedIn and X.       

WE SUPPORT LIFELONG LEARNING FOR PEOPLE OVER 50

After the successful first edition and the great interest, Sofia Development Association (SDA) and Young Talents 50+ launched the second edition of the digital skills course for people over 50 years old on 7 November 2025.

The course is free of charge and is held within the framework of the Synclusive project, funded by the Horizon Europe program. It is intended for people over 50 years old from Sofia, unemployed or employed, and aims to improve their professional skills in the field of digital technologies: working with artificial intelligence, using cloud services, cybersecurity (protection of personal data, devices and working with public digital services). Online consultations are also available between the in-person sessions. In addition, meetings with employers are organized within the course to support the job readiness and employability skills of the participants.

The trainings are part of the activities of SDA and SofiaLab, aimed at improving the employment of people 50+ in Sofia, with a focus on women. As a result of the previous trainings, some participants have already managed to find a new job.
Follow SDA’s page for project news and access to research and analysis on the topic, as well as good practices from the international project partners for labor market inclusion of vulnerable groups.

EXPERTS GATHERED ACROSS EUROPE FOR SUCCESSFUL HYBRID SYMPOSIUM ON INCLUSIVE LABOUR MARKETS

On 18 September 2025, a dynamic hybrid symposium successfully brought together over 90 participants - including European policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and experts - to explore strategies for closing the labour market gap and fostering inclusion for vulnerable groups across Europe. Held as part of the EU Horizon Еurope Synclusive project, the event facilitated rich discussions, hands-on workshops, and cross-European knowledge exchange.

The Synclusive project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated, interdisciplinary systems approach to support the inflow, retention, and career development of vulnerable populations in the labour market. This symposium served as a key milestone in that effort.

The symposium opened with a keynote lecture by Agnès Parent-Thirion, Senior Research Manager at Eurofound and a leading expert on job quality and working conditions. In her presentation, titled “Job Quality of Vulnerable Groups: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Employment?”, she explored the structural factors influencing the employment prospects of marginalized populations and emphasized the importance of sustainable job quality for long-term inclusion. The case study of Amersfoort was also presented in-depth.

Following that, participants engaged in one of three parallel online workshops, each focused on sharing best practices and actionable insights drawn from across Europe, including the Synclusive living labs in Netherlands, Finland, Bulgaria, and Portugal.

“Building Strong Local Coalitions” workshop examined how local governments, NGOs, employers, and community organisations have successfully collaborated to implement inclusive labour market strategies at the regional level.

“Developing and Testing Labour Market Interventions” discussed innovative labour market interventions that had been piloted and tested — highlighting key successes, challenges, and lessons learned for future implementation.

“Barriers and Drivers for People Aged 50+” provided new insights into the drivers and barriers affecting labour market participation among vulnerable individuals aged 50 and above, with a focus on tailored strategies to improve engagement and retention.

With over 30 participants on-site and more than 60 attending online, the symposium fostered a collaborative environment where participants exchanged practical tools, shared local experiences, and built connections across borders. The event highlighted the importance of a system-level, inclusive approach to employment and strengthened the European community working toward fairer and more sustainable labour markets.

The symposium was wrapped up by Irma … with EC’s DG Employment, who shared her impressions how Synclusive contributes to the Commission’s current initiatives, including the forthcoming first Anti-Poverty Strategy. She emphasized the importance of tailored approach, of sustainable funding and of success stories, among other factors.

The symposium marked an important step forward in driving inclusive employment strategies and reinforcing European collaboration for systemic change.

For more information about Synclusive and its upcoming activities, visit https://synclusiveproject.eu and follow us on LinkedIn and X.       

POLICY ROUNDTABLE IN BRUSSELS HIGHLIGHTS SYNCLUSIVE’S INCLUSIVE LABOUR MARKET INNOVATIONS

The Synclusive project consortium convened in Brussels on September 18, 2025, for a pivotal policy roundtable, bringing together European Commission officials and project partners to present and discuss innovative pathways for labour market inclusion. Hosted in the heart of EU policymaking, the roundtable provided a platform to reflect on early outcomes and foster dialogue on inclusive employment strategies.

Synclusive, a Horizon Europe-funded initiative, aims to improve access to the labour market for vulnerable groups - including the long-term unemployed, people with low educational attainment, individuals with a migrant background, and those aged over 50. The roundtable marked an important milestone, as consortium members shared preliminary findings from the project’s four Living Labs, operating in Sofia (Bulgaria), Kokkola (Finland), Amersfoort (Netherlands), and three pilot locations across Portugal.

Each Living Lab has developed context-specific strategies tailored to local labour market conditions and the needs of target groups. These real-life testing environments have generated valuable insights into the barriers faced by vulnerable individuals and the policies and practices that can enable more equitable access to employment opportunities.

EU institutional representatives from several Directorates-General participated in the event, including DG Research and Innovation (DG RTD), DG Just, REA, and policy officers working on equality, employment, gender, and poverty reduction. Their engagement underscores the growing EU-level commitment to inclusive growth and social cohesion.

Discussions during the roundtable focused on aligning Synclusive’s grassroots findings with broader EU policy frameworks, including the European Pillar of Social Rights, the Union of Skills and the forthcoming European Ani-Poverty Strategy. Key themes included lifelong learning, creating local coalitions, inclusive hiring practices, cross-sectoral cooperation, and the role of data in identifying and addressing structural inequalities.

As the project moves into its next phase, Synclusive partners emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between research, practice, and policy. The insights generated from the Living Labs will contribute to the development of scalable models that can be adapted across diverse European regions.

For more information about Synclusive and its upcoming activities, visit https://synclusiveproject.eu and follow us on LinkedIn and X.