The Bulgarian Construction Chamber (BCC) held a third international virtual seminar on capacity building in the field of Digitalization and digital skills within the social dialogue agenda, as a part of the SuSodCo project. The Federation Construction, Industry and Water Supply - Podkrepa (FCIW Podkrepa (Support) was a co-organizer of the event. 

The forum participants were Lyubomir Kachamakov, MSc.Eng., Vice President of FIEC and Chairman of the Regional Office of BCC - Sofia,  Ioannis Parteniotis, MSc.Eng., Vice President of Podkrepa and Chairman of FCIW - Podkrepa, Gregor Fico, Executive Director of the Chamber of Construction and Building Materials in Slovenia, Maria Zheleva, Chief Expert at BCC, Vasil Kirov, Associate Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Plamena Parteniotis, PR Manager, Yordan Yordanov, Deputy Chairman of FCIW - Podkrepa, Vanya Tividosheva, Chief Expert in the Vocational Education and Training Directorate at the Ministry of Education and Science, Vasil Tanev, MSc Eng., Part-time Lecturer, Department of Construction Organization and Management at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Mihail Mihailov, Deputy-Director of the National Institute for Conciliation and Arbitration, Mihaela Mihailova, PR expert, and Emil Hristov, Editor-in-Chief of Stroitel newspaper. 

"I am happy to welcome the participants in our third meeting within the project. "Our first two events focused on the latest trends in the European construction sector - digitalization of the economy, innovation in digital economies, labor markets and change management, and communication strategy and its importance for effective dialogue," said Maria Zheleva in the beginning and added that the focus of the event was a customized training for acquiring digital skills applicable for social dialogue purposes. 

"The topic of digitalization in the context of social dialogue is extremely important. The digital revolution we have witnessed in recently has significantly changed the economy of each country and the way we think. It also helps to improve the social dialogue in construction by changing the way we work," said Lyubomir Kachamakov, MSc Eng. He made it clear that in the last few years years the innovations caused by the digitalization of the Construction sector have optimized the prices of construction, as well as to minimize  the serious accidents on building sites. "We are witnessing a new era in the construction industry. More and more countries introduce BIM technology, which helps them significantly develop their business," he added. 

After him, Ioannis Parteniotis took the floor, saying that he was quite pleased with the social dialogue and cooperation with the Bulgarian Construction Chamber and the international partners. "The fourth industrial revolution we are witnessing today, namely digitalization, inevitably has a direct effect on construction as an industry. This direct effect is based on the changes taking place in the production of building materials, and in the construction process itself," he said. Ioannis Parteniotis also talked about staff training in the building sector, which should take advantage of new methods in order to keep pace with the changing environment. 

In the second panel of the seminar, the attendees had the opportunity to be introduced to the ways of efficient dissemination of content, to digital marketing, social media management, and got some tips for writing content for various communication channels. 

You can find further information on the topic in the next issue of Stroitel newspaper.