The forum was opened by the Minister of Education, Prof. Dr. Galin Tsokov

Glavbolgarstroy celebrated its 55th anniversary with an event focusing on the workforce in the construction industry and mechanisms to address the sector's pressing challenge: a shortage of employees.

The forum, titled "Finding and Developing Talent for the Future of Construction: Building Tomorrow”, was opened by the Minister of Education, Prof. Dr. Galin Tsokov. It brought together a variety of experts, representatives of the construction sector, faculty from Bulgarian and international universities, visionaries from the tech industry, education specialists, and students from leading universities in the field.

Addressing the audience, Prof. Tsokov presented current training programs in the sector and emphasized the need for state standards that align with the demands of the construction market. “In the coming years, together with employers, we must explore ways to expand dual-education models, so that students can enter the labor market while still studying—something that is crucial for the construction industry,” he added.

“When you have 55 years behind you, you can trace trends and see how technologies evolve. But one thing remains constant throughout—it’s the people. The growth of any company is closely tied to the growth of its employees. At our company, we have three generations of employees,” said Emil Angelov, CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Glavbolgarstroy Holding.

During the forum, senior economist Petar Ganev from the Institute for Market Economics (IME) presented a detailed market analysis on the current and future workforce needs in the sector.
According to Ganev, the construction sector saw growth in 2023, with revenues of 28.5 billion BGN and capital expenditures planned for the coming years. However, it faces a shortage of approximately 18,000 specialists over the next 3–5 years. Data from the IME analysis also highlighted that, despite significant financial resources, the construction sector struggles with a severe labor shortage. The industry employs over 130,000 people, with salaries in major companies being about 63% higher than the sector's average.

In conclusion, participants emphasized that the future and development of the construction sector require joint efforts between businesses, government, and educational institutions.