• Eva Paunova, MEP and patron of the National Internship initiative of the Council of Women in Business, awarded the finalists

• Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia and an honorary member of the Council of Women in Business, was a special guest of the event

• First prize was a visit to the European Parliament

Miroslava Marinska, an intern at UniCredit Bulbank in Plovdiv, won the first prize in a national essay contest on the theme: “The internship – the first step in my career“, organized by the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria. The competition was part of the National Internship initiative of the Council under the patronage of Ms Eva Paunova, MEP, who personally awarded the finalists of the competition. Special guest of the ceremony was the Mayor of Sofia Ms Yordanka Fandakova.

Dozens of trainees from across the country took part in the competition. The jury chose five finalists: Boris Akaliev (intern at Mtel), Victoria Radeva (Junior Achievement Bulgaria), Iviana Mladenova (CEZ Bulgaria), Miroslava Marinska (UniCredit Bulbank) and Yanita Simova (AstraZeneca) .

“First steps are crucial both in life and career. And the internship is such an important first step that gives wings to the young people, allowing them to enter the world of business, providing them with a support and a chance to prove their skills and capabilities. This year the National Internship Initiative of the Council of  Women in Business in Bulgaria enabled 1,200 young people to make  this first and most important step in their careers”,  said Dr. Eng. Boryana Manolova, chairman of the Council and CEO of Siemens Bulgaria. “The essays we received were as diverse as the participants themselves. While some revealed the typicall enthusiasm of youth, other showed the not so pretty face of the disappointment from the collision with reality”, Dr. Eng. Manolova added. She announced that next year the National Internship Initiative will be continued with a competition for projects on “Ecology and urban environment” and “Innovation and technology”.

“Businesses and institutions must act hand in hand in providing opportunities for young people. This is a successful model that will create an incentive for their professional realization in Bulgaria “, said Eva Paunova. She explained that her own internships in different companies and institutions gave her the opportunity to gather supporters and associates for long-term causes, which she is now promoting as MEP.

“I always try to attract young people in my team. Sofia Municipality would be glad to be actively involved  in the next initiative of the Council. We can offer internship opportunities in the areas of green systems, transport, technology, etc. National Internship initiative of the Council of Women is a project that enables young educated people to apply what they have learned in real working environments”, said Yordanka Fandakova.

The winner and the finalists will have a meeting with Ivaylo Kalfin, Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria and Minister of Labour and Social Policy. They also receive an invitation for an additional internship in an appropriate for their profile and career development company from the Council. Victoria Radeva won a special prize – the opportunity to participate in the organization of the International conference Global Women Leaders’ Forum, which will be organized by the Council next year in Bulgaria under the patronage of the Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova. All finalists will be invited to take part in the mentoring program of Nestle Bulgaria.

“Companies from the Council provide career opportunities for over 1,200 trainees annually and about 25 percent of them receive the chance for a permanent employment after completion of the internship”, said Vanya Kaneva, HR Director of CEZ Bulgaria.

National Internship initiative of the Council is the traineeship program with the broadest profile of internship opportunities in Bulgaria in all economic sectors – finance, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, high technology, services, etc. The initiative aims to support young professionals and talents to realize their potential in Bulgaria.

The essay competition under the patronage of MEP Eva Paunova started a series of initiatives of the Council aimed at young people in Bulgaria. A virtual badge “We remain in Bulgaria” was created which each trainee or company wishing to show sympathy for the idea, can add to its profile picture on Facebook: http://www.picbadges.com/t/0dxu1FG0

A Council analysis shows that a significant number of young people are willing to develop professionally in Bulgaria. Survey among trainees revealed that trainees of so called Generation Z are not afraid to accept challenges, but they are also always ready for a new “start-up”. For them, the main motivating factor is achieving the right balance between work  and personal life along with professional growth opportunities, security and stability.

The analysis also showed that Generation Z trainees learn in a different way – based not on the abstract logic, but rather interactive. They are loyal, but also distrustful. Young interns have a positive attitude towards the company and the people who give them opportunities to express themselves. For many of them the relationship with their mentors ant the easy access to their supervisors is an important motivational factor. They seek support, require clear and achievable tasks and want to feel appreciated.