A crucial part of our mission is to develop and implement corporate socially responsible projects through which we build a bridge between different socially disadvantaged groups and the corporate sector, opening a space for identifying opportunities for sustainable partnerships. We are proud of being recognised as one of the members of the European Pact 4 Youth at the UN Global Goals Network, supporting disadvantaged youth in their personal and professional development, as well as a key partner of UNHCR Bulgaria. Furthermore, we are proud to support SOS Children Villages Bulgaria with our professional expertise, as the managing director of CATRO Bulgaria is Vice-president of the Management Board of the organisation.
We believe that groups socially excluded from the labour market have a hidden potential and our mission is to unlock their capabilities, to empower them and make them an equal part of society. This is the reason why we share our knowledge and know-how and implement high-quality European projects. The team of CATRO takes at heart the cause of inclusion of different groups facing challenges in their social, education and/or labour market integration. CATRO makes use of its experience to provide soft skills training and psychological and career counselling for several target groups:
Refugees and Migrants – since 2017 our team of professionals is assisting Third Country Nationals in the process of their integration in the country. We are focusing our efforts in providing training on legal, social, intercultural and psychological issues to companies and organisations in the public and NGO sector, as well as organising job-matching events. Furthermore, we are creating networks with the local communities, enhancing the skills of migrants and the professionals working with them.
Disadvantaged youths (NEETs) – as part of “Get Ready 2 Work“, CATRO has assisted the employment of disadvantaged young people by providing training and individual counselling to them and to the professionals working with them. STEER extended these activities by supporting the transition from education to employment of NEETs through a comprehensive training for youth workers from the whole country. With COMPASS we aim at the professionalisation of the youth workers supporting NEETs activation.
People with disabilities– “Create Your Future” offered carrier counselling to childhood cancer survivors. New Horizons extended similar services elaborating a holistic approach based on the existential counselling, adapted to the needs of a broader group – people with acquired disabilities after an accident or illness which had a severe impact on their personal and professional life. Within these projects, CATRO has established successful partnerships with key organisations, such as the National Patients’ Organisation and Association "Children with Oncohematologic Diseases“.
Domestic violence survivors– technological innovation is supporting women on the way to their economic independence through psychological empowerment. We have established a partnership with “Gender project for Bulgaria” and we are continuing to increase the awareness about this sensitive topic in the corporate sector and in the society as a whole. For sustainability reasons, we supported the establishment of the EMPROVE Foundation for enhancing the impact and further dissemination of the online gamification platform through a mobile application.
Digital skills development – We aim to help all groups of people make a smoother transition to a digital age – improving people’s ability to find employment, use government services, and learn online, while developing their critical digital literacy and enabling them to stay clear of disinformation.
Competence assessment and validation – CATRO’s experienced trainers fully support the idea that gaining new knowledge and skills does not have to be limited to F2F classroom training. That is why our team always seeks out opportunities to promote new possibilities for learning – in an open environment, through practical experience on the job, using IT-based tools etc. Our team also provides support in career consulting focusing on self-analysis and competence validation techniques.
We pay special attention to the question of validation of competences developed through informal and non-formal learning – the so-called soft skills or transferrable competencies that business nowadays values as much as the hard skill required for a specific position. Furthermore, intercultural competencies, volunteering, creativity, innovative thinking as well as entrepreneurship are in our focus as part of various European projects.
Sustainability - We take the cause of Sustainable Development close to heart. We aim to promote sustainability both by famliarising businesses with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and helping them integrate these goals with the continuing professional development of their employees, and by developing trainings on ‘green’ topics for everyone.
