Združenie "Znanie" Loveč

Сдружение “Знание” Ловеч
Združenie "Znanie" Loveč

ul. Tărgovska 44
5000 Loveč
Bulgaria

Website: www.znanielovech.org

Združenie Znanie (Knowledge Association) is a Bulgarian non-profit organization, registered in 1994. It has 54 members (who usually volunteer for the NGO) and a 5-member managing board.  At the moment 22 people are employed on labour contracts and another 10 part-time.

The mission of the organization is gaining recognition for the democratic values in society through providing high-quality, accessible education combined with the national traditions and the European dimensions for lifelong learning.

In the last ten years the organization has been working in the field of youth policies and initiatives, social inclusion of vulnerable groups and labour market initiatives.

Združenie Znanie is a licensed Vocational Educational Training Centre. It has implemented more than 50 projects under EU and national programmes (including partnership projects with local authorities, NGOs, social services providers and educational institutions).  

Annually, more than 500 people are trained in the educational courses and non-formal trainings (such as computer literacy courses, foreign languages, and other key competences trainings).

Apart from the educational services, provided by the VET Centre at the moment (2017) the organization implements the following projects:

• The Other Generation - aiming at supporting the children (aged 14 – 17) who have parents working or living abroad (economic emigrants)
• Step to School – project aiming at improving the early education of children of Roma families
• Springboard for School – national program aiming at removing the barriers to quality early childhood education and improving the access to kindergartens.
• Equal Chance – aiming at providing equal opportunities for young people from remote area attend school

As educational organization, Združenie Znanie has implemented activities and projects in the field of employability and active labour market measures.
Združenie Znanie has established good partnership with local authorities, the Labour office and the Regional Labour Agency and have implemented successfully vocational courses for unemployed people (being a licensed VET Centre).

Združenie Znanie conducts non-formal courses for NEET young people (Not in Education, Employment, or Training)  aiming at improving their key competences and motivate them to be active. We also work with ethnic minorities and people living in remote areas supporting their social and work inclusion.

The organization is specialized in curricula development, organization and conduction of vocational and non-formal trainings.