Conference of the World Association of Public Employment Services

A Conference of the World Association of Public Employment Services was held in Sofia. The Forum "Public employment services and effective employment of older workers" was opened by Ivaylo Kalfin, Social Minister. Among the participants were representatives of international and national organizations dealing with labor, employment and social inclusion, academia, and NGOs. BCCI was represented by the President of the Chamber, Tsvetan Simeonov.

The forum discussed various tools and methods ensuring effective employment of older workers. The experience of Belgium, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Romania, Japan, Korea, and Canada was presented.

It was established that in many countries the public employment services have difficulty in finding jobs for persons over the age of 50 and the percentage of unemployed in this age group is much above average. At the same time, with the greater life expectancy and the higher retirement age, the need for extending the scope of employment opportunities offered to the elderly, including greater flexibility, is increasing.

BCCI gives an example in this respect by the fact that almost half of the heads of units are at retirement age, thanks to the owned professional experience and qualifications.