About Bulgaria The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres, Bulgaria ranks as the 16th-largest country in Europe.
More information about history and present of Bulgaria – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria
History Innovative Community Centres Association is a Bulgarian organization which is carrying out activities connected with educational, informational and technological development of local communities through the community centres. Our association is founded in September 2004 as non-for-profit legal entity. It is registered in the State register of non-for-profit legal entities implementing activities in public interest Today ICCA has more than 40 members from all over the country. It has General assembly and is run by the Management Board of 5 persons. The Association main office is in Sofia.
Member map
Innovative Community Centres Association priority objectives are:
Provides conditions for training and development of the widest possible range of users, including groups and individuals with disabilities, different ethnic groups and religions, poor people, unemployed, addicts, youth and children. Helping to enrich the culture with general European values and various ethnical, social and religious groups’ culture throughout the country via activities of intercultural inclusion, communication and exchange of good practices Stimulates the active life and participation of elderly people by working together with and for them.
Among the main instruments of achieving ICCA's objectives are: Organizing vocational trainings, seminars, courses, discussions and other educational events aimed at raising the level of knowledge, management skills of community centers staff, state and municipal institutions, businesses, individual citizens;
Obtaining and using licenses for ensuring and maintenance of the system of vocational education, training and information;
Organization or assistance in organization of local public events such as seminars, workshops, exhibitions, fairs, etc. that promote the activities of the community centers
Vocational Training
Realizing the necessity of assuring and maintaining quality in the vocational education and training of adults living in remote settlements in partnership with local government, community centres, employers and non-government organizations was established network of 34 training bases.
In last 3 years ICCA has implemented 125 trainings with the general number of 1096 people who took part in them.
More than 200 librarians were trained in vocation Librarian and successfully passed their state exams.
During the years we developed a lot of training programs, training materials and worked for improvement, diversification and modernization of used training methods.
Our License
Vocational Training The ICCA Vocational Training Center holds a license № 200612327 issued by National Agency for Vocational Education and Training and is certified as being able to implement vocational training with acquiring a vocational qualification or qualification in a part of profession in 37 specializations of 24 professions.
Some of vocations:
Vocation "Librarian“ – Specialization "Library science" Vocation "Office secretary" – Specialization "Service administration" Vocation "Computer operator" – Specialization "Word processing" Vocation "Computer systems mechanic" – Specialization "Computer networks" Vocation "Cook" – Specialization "Cookery goods and drinks production" Vocation “Guide" – Specialization "Guide services"
More about trainings
In addition to vocational trainings we conduct a lot of key competences trainings and motivation trainings.
We work with people of all ages, but we are focused on adults from small communities with limited access to educational and training services. There are a lot of settlements where majority of citizens are 50+ years old and no one provide trainings for them. About 30% of our students are 50+ years old.
Another target group are personnel of Community Centres – we train them to be more qualified in their work and through them we work with local communities and different marginalized groups.
Implementing projects financed by Human Resources Development Operational Program and other national and European programmes we provide trainings for unemployed people, prisoners and other people in risk.
Our programs
Community centres – accessible place for training – our program developed to motivate and involve adult people in trainings. Under it we provide free of charge trainings in field of digital competences which are focused on people 50+ years old and youth.
Exchange of experience through practical training – ICCA organizes and supports, with methods and finance, the exchange of the best practices in Community Centers. The main aim of this training is to increase the skills and competencies of employees in Community Centers and to provide new usable services to local communities.
ICCA, understanding and supporting e-learning, have experience in distant and blended trainings providing. We have our own e-learning platform and technical experts who administrate, maintain and support this platform.
Our partners in the projects and trainings: Almost all of our projects are implementing in partnership with other organizations. We have more than 100 partners.
Municipalities;
Community Centers;
Non-government organizations;
Science institutes;
Public libraries – Regional, Municipal, local and their association - Bulgarian Library and Information Association
Local business.
Membership
Our association is one of the constituents of AGORA platform /Active Communities for Development Alternatives/
Our association is one of the constituents of Bulgarian Citizen Participation Forum – association of more than 130 NGOs. We are part of the Management board.
ICCA is a member of European Association for the Education of Adults.
ICCA is a member of the Public Council at the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Bulgaria
ICCA is a member of Public Council at Parliamentary Committee for Interaction with Non-Governmental Organizations and Citizens’ Complaints
Thank you for your attention eng. George Petrov Innovative Community Centers Association phone/fax: +359 2 4627103, 4161504 mobile: +359 8 9666 9222
[email protected] http://www.association.bg/en