From June 2nd to June 5th, a delegation from the Municipality of Oberhausen, Germany, visited Blagoevgrad as a part of the project “EPIC-UP: Upscaling the European Platform of Integrating Communities”, funded by the AMIF programme of the European Union.
Association “Euni Partners” organsied a meeting on 2nd June 2025 between the delegation from the Municipality of Oberhausen and representatives from Sofia Investment Agency. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the online platform “Jobs in Sofia” – an initiative developed to support Ukrainian refugees in their process of finding employment and professional development opportunities. The meeting addressed the challenges faced by the team behind the platform – such as engaging employers and finding effective ways to reach end users. The discussion also covered questions regarding the employment options provided by the platform, along with the measures needed to ensure its sustainability.
On 3rd June, continuing the discussions and the collaborative exchange of knowledge, a meeting was held in Blagoevgrad, between representatives from the Municipality of Oberhausen and members of the CoP (Community of Practices) established in Blagoevgrad. The meeting was focused on good practices implemented at the local level for ethnic communities, migrants and refugees’ inclusion. Key topics included challenges and successful models in working with vulnerable groups in the areas of employment, education, recognition of professional qualification, as well as social services.
The final meeting of the visit took place on 4th June between the German delegation and health and educational mediators, along with their coordinators in the Municipality of Blagoevgrad. The discussion focused on the role of mediators, their functions and their working methods in supporting ethnic communities. The mediators shared the challenges they encounter in their daily work, as well as the positive impact of the services they provide to end users.
The visit of the delegation from the Municipality of Oberhausen represented a key opportunity for transnational cooperation and exchange of good practices in the field of social inclusion. The meetings emphasised the importance of partnership and collaboration between institutions, CSOs and local communities in creating sustainable solutions to support vulnerable groups of society.
The joint work and exchange of experience and good practices during the visit contribute to achieving the primary aim of the “EPIC-UP” project – building more resilient, inclusive and open European societies that embrace cultural diversity.
