The Council rewarded the winners in the National competition “Innovators of the future – Trainees 2016” in which university students and students from the 12^th grade presented their innovative ideas and concepts for solutions for a better future and quality of life in Bulgaria.

The authors of the 5 most innovative projects win a one month internship in the European Parliament in Brussels.

The second national competition within the most major internship initiative in our country -“Staying in Bulgaria” ended with an official award ceremony, rewarding the best projects. The organizations of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria /CWBB/ this year challenged the young talents of Bulgaria to involve in a rivalry under the title “Innovators of the future – Trainees 2016”. The competition was designed for students BA and MA from Bulgarian and foreign universities, students from 12^th grade, talented young people with entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas.

Within the competition 70 projects were presented in the areas of Technology and Innovation, Infrastructure and Environment and Social innovations and human resources. After a controversial fight and long discussions of the jury of representatives of member companies and the administrative board of CWBB, in the competition were honored over 20 youth, who received prizes and scholarships, provided by E-Act, Unicredit Bulbank, Benefit System BG, “Manager” magazine and CWBB. The highest rated were the projects of 8 young talents, who will have the opportunity to take part in 5 one-month internships in the European Parliament in Brussels in the team of Maria Gabriel, MEP (member of the European Parliament) from GERB/ENP and 3 working visits in the EP with host Eva Paunova, MEP from GERB/ENP and patron of the National Internship Initiative “Staying in Bulgaria”.

“Staying in Bulgaria” is a project, which resembles our main mission – to work for the creation of conditions for realization of the young people here, in Bulgaria.” shares Dr. Eng. Boryana Manolova, the Chairperson of the CWBB. “The entrepreneurial spirit of the young people in Bulgaria and Europe has to be further developed and supported, because it would be the engine of our future”, she added.

“As a patron of the initiative I have to inspire you to show your potential. But today I want to assure you that you inspired me. You inspired me with your innovative ideas, which you presented, with the enthusiasm that streams from your eyes, with your bravery and the power with which you stood in front of this full hall and defended your projects”, greeted the participants, Eva Paunova. “ I’m extremely happy that I will have the opportunity to meet 3 of you on a working visit in Brussels, where we will be able to exchange ideas and to lay the foundations of your future professional growth together”, she added.

The national internship initiative “Staying in Bulgaria” created by the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria is the most major internship initiative in the country, which goal is to support young people to develop their potential in Bulgaria and to look for professional realization in their homeland. Bulgarian and international companies, members of the Council of Women in Business, unite in order to create a favorable environment and stimulus for the active and educated young people to start their career in Bulgaria. The initiative is aimed at Bulgarian university students, Bulgarian students in foreign countries, foreign citizens with interest for an internship in Bulgaria and students from 11^th-12^th grade from Secondary Educational and Professional Institutions. Every year over 1400 trainees start their professional path in companies – members of the Council, as 30-35% of them remain working permanent in those companies after the traineeship.

The campaign launched in 2015 with the Essay Contest “Internship – the first step in my career” and set the beginning of a number of initiatives of the Council, aimed to the young talents of Bulgaria. In 2016 the project was awarded as it challenged the youth even more, but provided them with even more prosperous possibilities, the internships in the European Parliament for instance.

This summer the new project, within the National Internship Initiative “Staying in Bulgaria”- Summer Academy “Leaders of the Future”, started. It was intended for students from 11^th-12^th grade and university students in their 1^st or 2^nd year.  The Academy wanted to give extra information, knowledge and experience to the young people for their career guidance, through lectures, discussion forums and workshops. It wanted to acquaint the participants with the companies and their policy for working with young people, to give them the opportunity to gain extra training in communications, presentation and digital skills, creative thinking and other basic knowledge, needed for good professional realization. 30 young talents had the opportunity to work, within a month, with teachers, lecturers and mentors from the companies members of CWBB and guests, thanks to which they turned their creative ideas into projects, gained experience and confidence in presenting, defense and asserting their ideas. They received additional proofs and arguments that the business in Bulgaria provides many good conditions to start the career path and professional realization.

Ranking of the presented projects in the competition Innovators of the Future – Trainees 2016

1^st place

One-month internship in Brussels:

1. Elitsa Nedeva, PROJECT: Linkstudents.com – social network with educational purposes
2. Krasimira Manashfi, PROJECT: Dream House – domestic use
3. Ralitsa Bankova, PROJECT: MeDICOM – desktop application for visualization and treatment of medical images
4. Ralitsa Veleva, PROJECT: Colleague for one day
5. Aleksandrina Pencheva, PROJECT: One care less

1^st place

Visit in Brussels

1. Vanya Chakyrova, PROJECT: Get to know us!
2. Martin Ralchev, PROJECT: Unmanned aircraft for the needs of Energetics
3. Djeyhan Barutev, PROJECT: Unmanned aircraft for the needs of Energetics