The Inter-governmental Council demanded tourism to become a priority specialty in education

The professional major in Tourism at universities should be included in the list of priority specialties. This is the opinion of the Inter-governmental Council stated today. “We will prepare a reasoned proposal for inclusion of the professional major in Tourism in the list of priority specialties”, said the Minister of Tourism Assoc. Prof. Stela Baltova at the opening of the fourth session of the Council.

She commented that the Inter-governmental Council has worked proactively and its work is of primary importance for the whole sector. The areas on which it acts are: increasing the number of students in the specialty of Tourism, development of up-to-date situation analysis of labour resources, creating a model of partnership between businesses and educational institutions, and adequate practical training of pupils at the secondary education level.

A focus was placed on received proposals for amending and supplementing the positions in the National Classification of Professions and Positions in Bulgaria. Presented were opportunities for funding projects for qualification and employment in the sector through Operational programme “Human Resources Development” 2014 – 2020.

During the fourth session there was a discussion of the problems relating to the need for enhancing the level of education for certain professions in tourism, setting forth minimum requirements in educational programmes, and delivering courses to senior management level. The participants in the Inter-governmental Council for the Staff in Tourism agreed that the sessions should be held more frequently so as to address operational issues and concrete cases.

Members of the Council include representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Economy, the Commission  for Protection of Consumers, the Employment Agency, the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria,  the Bulgarian Industrial Association, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria, the Confederation of Labour Podkrepa, the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training, representatives of  higher  schools and secondary  vocational schools where students and pupils are trained in the field of tourism, representatives of the tourist business, etc.