Competence assessment system – MyCompetence

MyCompetence platform fulfils the following objectives:

• creation of functional compatibility and opportunity for integrated data usage;
• generation and collection of information and know-how in a single domain, with regard to managing the implementation process of the competence approach in human capital development;
• initiation and support of effective measures (at sector and regional level) for employment and skills development of Bulgaria’s workforce;
• acknowledgment of good practices manifested during human resources management process;
• creation of a digital library for relevant learning and training materials, as well as documents which can be analysed in order to outline trends and recommendations;
• provision of wide range of job descriptions, competencies descriptions, assessment and self-assessment tools as well as e-trainings.

The main elements of MyCompetence are:

• Sector models;
• Competence assessment;
• E-learning;
• Economic sectors information.

The selection and description of competencies in the platform is done according to the qualification levels set out in the national qualifications framework. As of mid 2020, there are 370 competence models developed in 25 economic sectors (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, 2020) and 360 registered enterprises (MyCompetence, 2020).

The resources available in the platform are free of charge; the only usage requirement is for users to be registered in the platform. The registration is open to both natural and legal persons and the available resources are provided according to the target groups’ needs.

The main users of MyCompetence are:

• Organisations (managers, HRM specialists, competence assessors);
• Ministries, agencies and other institutions and organisations related to the labour market and the spheres of education, continuous learning, recruitment and employee leasing, career guidance;
• Higher education institutions, vocational schools, licensed centres for vocational training;
• Organisations providing services in the spheres of recruitment, management, training and development of human resources;
• Workers and employees legally employed by organisations;
• Students.

The functioning and effectiveness of MyCompetence is ensured by a national competence assessment network, which was created as part of the first MyCompetence project and which encompasses employers, managers, specialists, consultants, state experts and experts from other institutions. To elaborate, the network is composed of:

•  National council for competence assessment, which is a permanent body for cooperation, consultation and institutionalisation of labour force competencies assessment by industries and regions;
• National centre for competence assessment, the purpose of which is to coordinate the work of the national competence assessment network;
• 25 sectoral consultation councils for competence assessment – these are multi-stakeholder structures the purpose of which is to create and validate sectoral competence models;
• 10 regional centre for competence assessment that ensure the coordination of activities related to competence assessment among enterprises in a given region.

The MyCompetence platform was initiated by the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) and implemented in two consecutive EU-funded projects. BIA partners in the first project were the two main trade unions in Bulgaria – Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and ῾Podkrepa῾ Labour Confederation (MyCompetence, 2019).