The huge imbalance between labor demand and labor supply is typical of the whole Europe, including Bulgaria. Nearly 700 thousand job positions in the IT industry will remain open in the next few years, because those who seek jobs do not have the necessary skills and qualifications. Besides, 90% of all available positions in Europe will require computer knowledge or the so called digital skills. That is why Microsoft has started to apply its program entitled YouthSpark which aims at creating opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship for young people. The company has invested some USD 2 million in Bulgarian education through the Partners in Knowledge initiative. In 2013 it granted software worth over USD 140 thousand to non-governmental organizations.

“YouthSpark aims at encouraging young people improve their career”, explains the Executive Director of Microsoft Bulgaria Petar Ivanov. "Currently the unemployment rate in Bulgaria amounts to 13% and youth unemployment exceeds 20%. Our goal is to give young people the opportunity to start an own business in the IT sector through the BizSpark initiative. Besides, young people graduating Information Technologies can take part at the Imagine Cup competition aimed at developing projects in the IT industry."

The good results scored under the Career in IT project are part of the success of the YouthSpark program. The project carried out by the Alumni of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at the Saint Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia is also known as the Alumni Club. Information meetings with over 13,000 students from 40 schools were organized in 2013 alone. Over 800 students had the opportunity to attend the Microsoft IT Academy specialized training and 129 passed successfully the exams and received a certificate proving their practical skills to work with the latest software. Over twenty active members of the Alumni Club who are currently successful entrepreneurs and directors of large companies have engaged personally with the career consultant program. “The Career in IT project aims at reducing the huge difference between young people living in different regions regarding skills and competence. Last year we managed to reach active people in twenty Bulgarian towns, mainly in Northwestern and Northeastern Bulgaria”, says Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Organization Sevdalina Vassileva.

“We focus on regions with a low gross domestic product per capita”, specifies Nikolay Netov who is a member of the Alumni Club and lectures at the Saint Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. “For example, the incomes in Northwestern Bulgaria are four times lower than the average ones in Europe. This is caused by the lack of innovations in this region. The young people who live in this part of Bulgaria do not see any career opportunities there and choose to live and work abroad. As a result, the region is slowly falling into decay. We want to show through our project that young people have the opportunity to receive a good education and make a great career in Bulgaria and work for the community they belong to.”

The project was very successful in its first year. That is why Microsoft granted nearly USD 50,000 in 2014. The Alumni Club will focus this year on another 20 thousand students from Bulgarian secondary schools. They will have access to courses such as Information and Communication Technologies and Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Business Department of the Sofia University. The students will also attend courses for career development and will have chance to gain practical experience through mentorship. Ivelina Vassileva who is a first grader at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration is among the beneficiaries of the Career in IT program. She was invited to represent Bulgaria at the international Microsoft summit in Brussels, as she scored the highest result at the Microsoft exam in this country. Moreover, Ivelina is among the twenty students who join the world program of the software giant aimed at helping people start an own business.

“The project aims at training young entrepreneurs who can develop their own ideas”, explains Ivelina. “It is sponsored by Microsoft and is part of the YouthSpark program. You can apply for the project through describing your business ideas in details. Your idea has to be of a social and environmental purpose. The most successful projects are sponsored by Microsoft. This is a very good opportunity for people who want to study entrepreneurship.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov