First Stakeholder Meeting Held under the SteelCityZen Project in Stara Zagora

The project of Stara Zagora Municipality is aimed at the sustainable development of the local labour market

On 27 January 2026, the first stakeholder meeting under the international project DRP0301318 SteelCityZen was held at the premises of the Labour Office Directorate – Stara Zagora. The project is implemented by Stara Zagora Municipality under the INTERREG Danube Region Programme 2021–2027, funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund.

The project is carried out in partnership with 8 municipalities and 3 organisations from across Europe, with the Labour Office Directorate – Stara Zagora acting as an associated partner at local level. The main objective of the initiative is to support the transition of industrial cities in the Danube Region towards more diversified, inclusive and sustainable labour markets through enhanced cooperation between institutions, employers and other local stakeholders.

During the meeting, the project team from Stara Zagora Municipality presented the project’s objectives, activities and expected results, as well as the role of the municipality in its implementation. The discussion focused on opportunities to identify and address key challenges facing the local labour market, particularly in relation to skills needs, reskilling and economic diversification.

Participants were also presented with the results of a stakeholder survey conducted in September 2025, which identified the main challenges for the local labour market as difficulties in finding workers with appropriate skills, loss of qualified labour force, and shortages of digital, specialised and so-called “soft” skills (communication, adaptability). Respondents identified digital skills, skills related to artificial intelligence, soft skills and green skills linked to sustainable resource management, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources as the most important for the next 5–10 years. According to the survey, 44.4% of respondents have a mixed view of the green and digital transition, considering it to bring both opportunities and significant challenges. The most preferred training topics among employers and organisations participating in the survey are: burnout prevention – 59.3%; conflict management – 51.9%; emotional intelligence – 48.1%; green/sustainable practices – 40.7%; and entrepreneurship – 29.6%.

Within the framework of the project, a pilot action is planned to be developed jointly with local employers, aimed at building long-term cooperation between local authorities and businesses, as well as finalising a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the labour market.

The participants discussed various opportunities for closer cooperation between the municipality, businesses, educational institutions and employment organisations, including joint training programmes, reskilling initiatives, collaborative actions, and the sharing of data and good practices. Special emphasis was also placed on the need to support vulnerable groups in the labour market, including young people without work experience, low-skilled individuals, and workers employed in the energy and coal sectors.

Through the SteelCityZen project, Stara Zagora Municipality aims to contribute to the development of a more resilient and adaptable local labour market that responds effectively to dynamic economic and social changes.

More about the project:
https://www.starazagora.bg/bg/proekti-s-mezhdunarodno-satrudnichestvo/proekt-drp0301318-steelcityzen-/stiyl-siti-zen/-po-evropeyskata-transnatsionalna-programa-interreg-dunavski-region-2021-2027