The project aims to support Chelopech and Chavdar Municipalities (Sofia region) to provide employment for permanently unemployed persons with low level of education or representatives of vulnerable groups. Job opportunity lowers the unemployment rate in the municipalities, increases the quality of life of families and is at the service of society by ensuring a clean and favorable living environment. Unemployed persons are appointed in an employment contract with the municipality and carry out cleaning of municipal sites and territories and maintenance of public infrastructure, carry out loading/unloading activities, etc. Through their work, employees acquire work habits, learn to work in a team, enrich their knowledge, and show responsible behavior towards the urban environment.

The project is aimed at representatives of the community, residents of Chelopech and Chavdar villages and their families. The target group is permanently unemployed persons, persons with low or no education, representatives of vulnerable groups. The selection of people employed in the so-called “social program” with the two municipalities is carried out by representatives is the municipal administration who are familiar the living conditions and needs of the citizens.

For 20 years now, the company has been partnering with local communities with various projects and partnerships, with the aim of providing favorable living conditions in the settlements where it operates and assisting municipal leaders in solving social problems. The social program with Chelopech and Chavdar municipalities started in 2011 and continues in 2024. The program has been implemented without interruption for 13 years and is part of the overall CSR policy of the mining company.

Through the social program of the company in the both municipalities, jobs and employment are provided for permanently unemployed persons,men and women–5 people from each municipality (a total of 10 employed per year).They are appointed on an employment contract with the municipalities and carry out activities related to environmental protection, cleaning of municipal facilities, roads, territories, maintenance of green areas,support for municipal events, etc. All expenses for the appointees, including remuneration, insurance, work clothes and personal protective equipment, are provided by the company after submission of a monthly statement from the municipalities. In addition to the 10 people employed in the municipalities, since 2018, an opportunity has been created for between 3 and 7 people per year, also permanently unemployed persons from Chavdar, to support the geological department of the mining company with loading/unloading activities on a site located on the territory of the municipality. With this decision, more jobs were created for representatives of vulnerable groups under the partnership social program (another 29 employed for the period 2019-2023).

Since the start of the program in 2011, 159 jobs have been provided for the permanently unemployed. By 2017, these are 10 people per year. As of 2018, the number of employees is between 13 and 17 per year. Some of the employees are part of the program long-term, others have gone through it for shorter periods (year, months). The social program has provided work for at least 60 individual residents of Chelopech and Chavdar. Some of the employed gained new knowledge, skills, and confidence to continue developing in specific professions, others received basic knowledge, others improved their quality of life. Municipal management found solutions for: reducing unemployment; coping with difficulties and caring for vulnerable families; maintaining the urban and environmental environment.