Fewer Young People in Bulgaria Choosing Careers as Locksmiths and Turners

Fewer and fewer young Bulgarians are entering traditional industrial trades such as locksmithing and turning, making them among the most scarce professions on the labour market.

Angel Arnaudov has been working in mechanical engineering for more than 17 years. He is a lathe operator with digital programming control. He notices that fewer and fewer young people are entering the profession.

“In recent years the interest has faded, or schools simply don’t produce enough skilled workers in this field. Young people seem drawn to more modern professions. Turning and milling seem outdated to them,” he said.

According to business consultants, there has long been a shortage of both engineers and mid-level specialists.

“At the moment we see a huge shortage of locksmiths and turners. In most companies I advise, there are hardly any such workers left. Usually one or two specialists remain, often nearing retirement,” said Mariyan Genchev, a business consultant. “Young people are very intelligent and want to be in step with Western countries — that’s why so many move toward the digital sector.”

Data from the Ministry of Education show that only 300 students are currently being trained as locksmiths and just 28 as turners in vocational and combined schools.

According to the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training, this year only 64 people graduated as locksmiths and 68 as turners.

“There’s an effort to expand dual education, but there’s still a lot of local resistance. The obsession with language schools actually harms young people — everyone should learn languages, of course, but they also need a profession,” said Vasil Velev, Chair of the General Assembly of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA).

Experts point to two global solutions — attracting migrant labour and increased automation.

“Worldwide, there are two ways forward — bringing in workers from less developed countries or relying on robotics. We’re already seeing robots replace workers and pay for themselves within two to three years,” Genchev explained.

Arnaudov believes the first step to attracting young people is to spark their curiosity and passion for the trade.

“It all starts with interest and curiosity,” he said.