The project which the Bulgarian Industrial Association runs under Human Resources Development Operational Programme was introduced to representatives of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science on 13 January 2012. 

The meeting was initiated because of a forthcoming project which the Ministry will be executing for developing a system for recognizing skills, knowledge and competences acquired outside regular education system. This project will also be financed by Human Resources Development Operational Programme and is envisaged to award the newly-established workforce competence assessment system by sectors and regions (CASSY) developed under the project run by the Bulgarian Industrial Association.

The Head of the Bulgarian Competence Assessment Center, Tomcho Tomov, the Programme Director, Zhechko Dimitrov, and experts involved in the project presented the key activities conducted so far as well as the expected results including contents and functions of the future competence assessment system (CASSY), potential for building up the system for recognition of skills, knowledge and competences acquired through informal way etc. Special emphasis was laid on the Bulgarian Competence Assessment Network (BUCAN) which has been developed under the project. The network includes 20 sectors and 10 regions and covers the territory of the whole country.

The representatives of the Ministry of Education expressed their good impressions for the work done so far by the team of the Bulgarian Industrial Association and their expectations for the two systems - the one of BIA and the other of Ministry of Education - to eventually complement each other so that they can be of maximum benefit to their users (employees, unemployed people, students, employers, institutions, training centers etc.) Furthermore, they believe the Sector Skills Units established under BIA's project are well functioning bodies which can be of help not only to CASSY's operation but to the future system for informally acquired competences as well.

It was highlighted during the meeting that Bulgaria lacks any vocational standards and the so-called State Educational Requirements are rather academically-oriented failing to take into consideration the specific requirements which employers have to their workers and employees. It is namely in this respect that the Bulgarian Industrial Association would greatly contribute through its project - in developing vocational standards which can serve as a starting point for the State Educational Requirements to be set, as well as the criteria for assessing informally acquired skills, knowledge and competences.

This meeting marks the first step in the future cooperation between the project teams of BIA and the ministry with a mutual goal of achieving maximum synergy of the two projects.