Gümülcine municipality joins CARE-GET meeting in Lithuania

Gümülcine Municipality participated in a transnational working meeting of the CARE-GET project, held on September 24–25 in Druskininkai, Lithuania, with a focus on attracting and retaining skilled workers in small European cities.

The meeting was organized as part of the European Urban Initiative (EUI) project and brought together project partners from Gümülcine (Komotini), Haskovo in Bulgaria, Siena in Italy and Druskininkai in Lithuania, along with an expert team from Romania-based URBASOFIA.

HEALTH AND REHABILITATION IN FOCUS

Health, well-being and medical rehabilitation were among the key topics discussed during the two-day meeting.

Project participants visited a hospital and other healthcare facilities in Druskininkai to learn about the city’s healthcare system and approaches to medical rehabilitation and workforce development.

Meetings with healthcare professionals and institutional representatives focused on healthcare provision, medical rehabilitation and strategies for attracting and retaining qualified personnel.

EXPLORING WAYS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN SKILLED WORKERS

Workshops and group sessions examined the factors that influence people’s decisions to move to smaller cities and remain there.

Participants discussed employment opportunities, quality of life, access to education and healthcare, cooperation between institutions and local community participation as potential factors shaping the attractiveness and long-term sustainability of smaller cities.

EXPERIENCES TO INFORM GÜMÜLCİNE’S LOCAL APPROACH

For Gümülcine Municipality, the meeting provided an opportunity to examine approaches used in other European cities and assess which elements could potentially be adapted to local needs.

Under the CARE-GET project, the partners aim not to directly replicate practices from other cities, but to identify approaches that can be adapted to Gümülcine’s local conditions and evaluated through cooperation among relevant institutions.

The municipality said the project also aims to strengthen cooperation and knowledge exchange between European cities while supporting sustainable and inclusive approaches that respond to local community needs.