AmCham Human Capital and Education Committee Meeting
On September 30th, 2026, the AmCham Human Capital and Education Committee (HCE) brought together committee members to discuss current priorities, upcoming initiatives and opportunities for engagement.
Key updates
The Committee discussed the progress of the Project for Amendments of the Labor Code and the need to raise awareness of current workplace challenges and support a more modern legislative framework. To advance this objective, a broader event bringing together all relevant stakeholders is envisaged, preceded by an initial meeting with the Minister of Labor and Social Policy to discuss the key issues and help set the stage for the broader dialogue.
The Committee discussed a new Alumni Club initiative aimed at maintaining engagement with former and current participants in HCE initiatives and creating opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange and professional development. The proposed community would include two streams – students and academia, with a focus on career development, and professionals and business representatives, focusing on labor-market trends, future skills and emerging workplace challenges. Pilot meetings are planned to test and further develop the concept. As the initiative evolves, it is planned to gradually expand to involve members of other Committees, thereby broadening its reach, strengthening cross-Committee engagement and increasing its overall impact.
The fourth season of Rise to Shine, helping high-school students gain practical insights into the labor market and make informed career choices, is now underway. Twelve companies are joining this edition. Since 2024, the initiative has reached 30 schools in 12 cities, engaging more than 2,090 students and teachers through 36 sessions. The initiative is open to welcome interested companies.
Following a successful pilot connecting 26 students with mentors from leading AmCham member companies, the second edition of Step Ahead is expanding its academic and corporate network. The five-month program starts in November 2026, bringing together students and professionals through mentoring, practical learning and networking. More about the program HERE.
For the third consecutive year, AmCham Bulgaria is bringing members and partners together to raise awareness of women’s health, prevention and early detection. The October 28th event will focus on breast cancer, mental health and women’s health at work. Members are invited to join, share their own health initiatives and explore opportunities to make relevant activities available to the wider AmCham community.
The meeting featured a presentation by Silviya Andreeva, Marketing Director, Syscom Engineering, on Workforce Longevity and the growing need for organizations to rethink how they develop, support and retain talent as careers become longer and talent pools shrink.The discussion focused on future skills and reskilling, workforce health and sustainable performance, and knowledge retention and intergenerational learning. Members exchanged practical perspectives on how AI is reshaping roles and skills, how organizations can support mid-career transitions, and how to make health and wellbeing initiatives more relevant and effective.The session encouraged an open discussion on how organizations can keep people healthy, skilled, adaptable and productive for longer.
How to Get Involved
Members interested in joining the HCE Committee’s initiatives or contributing to its activities, as well as those with any Committee-related questions, are welcome to contact Iva Pavlova, AmCham Committee Manager, at iva@amcham.bg.
Event Resources
Remind me with
iCalMembers are cordially invited to a meeting of the AmCham Human Capital and Education Committee on September 30th, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at the American Corner, Sofia City Library, 4A, Slaveykov Square.
Please note, registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the meeting scheduled to start promptly at 10:00 a.m.
What to Expect
As we enter the active business season, we would like to invite the members of the AmCham Human Capital and Education Committee to a kick-off meeting to align on the Committee’s priorities for the months ahead, present the activities and events currently in the pipeline, and discuss how members can contribute to and support the implementation of Committee’s agenda.
The second topic of the meeting will be Workforce Longevity: Are Our Organizations Designed for Longer Working Lives?
Longer lives, demographic change, shrinking talent pools and rapid technological transformation are reshaping the world of work and challenging organizations to sustain their talent for longer. During the meeting, we will introduce Workforce Longevity as a strategic organizational challenge: how companies develop, sustain and deploy talent across longer and less linear working lives. Rather than treating longevity as a wellbeing or age-management issue, the session connects demographic change with workforce planning, continuous learning, career design, health and capacity, and knowledge retention.
The meeting will conclude with an open discussion around two questions identified as particularly pressing for organizations today: how to build the skills we cannot yet name, and how to design workforce health that people actually use. Participants will receive a short set of questions in advance and are encouraged to come ready to share their own organization’s experience.
AGENDA
9:30 – 10:00 Registration and Coffee
10:00 – 10:15 Overview of AmCham Human Capital and Education Committee‘s Events, Projects, and Initiatives for Fall 2026.
Speakers:
Ivelina Panamska, HCE Committee Co-chair
Victoria Vakova, HCE Committee Co-chair
10:15 – 10:50 Presentation “Workforce Longevity: Are our organizations designed for longer working lives?”- the demographic case, the framework, the organizational systems it touches.
Speaker:
Silviya Andreeva, Marketing Director, Syscom Engineering
10:50 – 11:20 Facilitated discussion
Moderator:
Silviya Andreeva, Marketing Director, Syscom Engineering
11:20 – 11:30 Closing Remarks
11:30 – 12:00 Networking
Questions for Reflection Before the Meeting
To make our discussion on Workforce Longevity as meaningful and practical as possible, we invite you to reflect on the following questions in advance and come prepared to share examples and insights from your own organization.
On the Skills of the Future
- Name one role in your organization that you believe will not exist in ten years. Now name the person doing it today. What is your plan for them?
- Which tasks in your organization will be done substantially differently in two years because of AI – and is anyone currently being trained for what remains? Not the tasks that disappear. The ones that change shape.
- Think of the last three people who left you for a better role elsewhere. Could that role have existed here? If the answer is yes for even one of them, you did not lose them to the market – you lost them to your own structure.
On Workforce Health
- Your health and wellbeing program is well-designed, well-communicated, and barely used. Is that an employee engagement problem – or a signal that it is solving a problem your people do not recognize?
- Look this up: compare how many of your employees over 50 used any part of your health offering last year with how many under 35 did. Which way does the gap run – and does that match who needs it most?
- Your strongest performers are frequently your most depleted. What in your current system would notice that before a resignation letter does?
How to Participate
To attend the meeting, please register below by September 29th, 12:00 p.m. Please note this is an AmCham members-only event. Working language will be Bulgarian.