Some 4,500 people of underprivileged minority groups will be integrated into the labour market through municipal projects funded under the operational programmes "Human Resources Development" and "Science and Education for Smart Growth". Their implementation is expected to integrate over 720 children, pupils and youths into the education system, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy reported on Wednesday.

"The planned activities extend a helping hand to underprivileged children and families, so that they can have a chance for a better future," said Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivan Krastev upon handing the contracts for the implementation of the projects to the municipalities of Stara Zagora, Pernik, Burgas and Plovdiv under the measure for socioeconomic integration of vulnerable groups in the presence of Deputy Minister of Education and Science Evgenia Peeva.

The projects will reach minority groups and severely underprivileged people who are accommodated in public housing, funded under the OP "Regional Development". Municipalities will be working simultaneously with underprivileged parents and children to achieve their social integration. Additional effort will be directed toward pupils who have dropped out of school, or are about to.

The authorities will be organizing activities for them, access to education will be improved outside of Roma neighbourhoods, and psychological support will be provided. Work will be done with parents who obstruct their children from going to kindergarten or school. Children whose mother tongue is not Bulgarian will attend extra Bulgarian language classes. Special attention will be paid to the economically inactive participants who will receive professional orientation and consultation, psychological support, and access to key competence training./BTA

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