A path to professional capability: The Career Start Programme in Bulgaria as a strategy to youth development

Abstract

This article looks into the Career Start Programme in Bulgaria through the prism of Sen's capability approach, and more particularly—the application of the approach to career guidance, employment programmes and youth labour market activation [Correction added on 15 August 2024, after first online publication: The full name of the programme in the previous sentence has been defined in this version.]. It analyses the programme's effects on its beneficiaries in enhancing their capability for work and capability for knowledge. Through qualitative and quantitative data analysis, we examine: (1) how the programme affects the participants' meaningful choices to aspire for and get a desired job and to develop sustainable career paths, and (2) how the programme influences the participants' capability for learning and skill acquisition. We find that, as a whole, the programme has positive influences on the larger part of its beneficiaries, as it equips them with the necessary capabilities to develop their future careers. We, however, observe certain issues with the programme calling for adjustments, so that young participants are better empowered to participate in the design of youth initiatives and formulate NEET‐related and youth employment policies that will be more conducive to their career paths in the future and to their aspirations for jobs they value.