Nadya Koteva, a dedicated social worker, has embarked on a successful new career at a Health Recovery Center. Her journey is a powerful example of how targeted training and community support can open doors to new professional opportunities—at any stage of life.
Nadya is one of the participants in the training programme under the Synclusive project, organized by SofiaLab. She completed the full programme, progressing from the introductory course on personal skills and motivation in November 2024 to the final course on digital skills in November 2025.
After losing her job about a year earlier, Nadya registered at the local Labour Office in a small town near Sofia. She recalls that labour offices in smaller communities often provide limited opportunities for training or reskilling, while available job openings are frequently filled even before they are officially announced. Based on her experience, discrimination against women aged 50+ remains widespread and visible.
Nadya discovered the SofiaLab courses on Facebook. Joining the first course on personal skills and motivation gave her the “confidence and self-esteem” she needed to apply for a position at the Recovery Center. Learning alongside people facing similar challenges created an inclusive and supportive environment that she found both motivating and empowering. Nadya says the course helped her “build confidence, communicate better, and present herself and her strengths” more effectively during the job interview. She received an offer immediately after the interview.
Now, six months into her new role, Nadya describes her work as deeply “energizing and rewarding,” despite the inevitable challenges. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the SofiaLab programme and to begin a new stage in my career. Beyond the new skills, the most important result for me is the belief in my own abilities and the strength to move forward independently.”
Nadya’s story is equally inspiring for the SDA and SofiaLab teams. Her only suggestion for improvement is to extend the duration of the courses. To date, more than 100 participants have successfully completed the programme, and Nadya is among those who have confidently re-entered the labour market.
