• The National Internship Initiative was rewarded in the category “Investor in knowledge”

For a second year in a row the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum rewards an initiative of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (CWBB). On the ceremony of the 14^th Annual awards for responsible business – 2016, which took place on 14^th March 2017 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Council in partnership with Siemens Bulgaria was awarded with 3^rd place in the category “Investor in knowledge”.

The award is given for the National internship initiative “Staying in Bulgaria” which’s main mission is to support and encourage youth to stay and fulfill their potential in Bulgaria by giving them different opportunities for internships in leading companies.

“This award is an exclusively recognition for all the people, who contributed to the success of the initiative with their work, enthusiasm and dedication. I would like to recognize as well the company members of the council who stood up for the idea and made it the biggest national internship platform in Bulgaria. The rewards proofs that, when the business, the non-governmental sector and the government go hand by hand in the name of one good cause, the results are always very satisfying”, commented Dr. Eng. Boriana Manolova, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria and CEO of Siemens Bulgaria.

“We would like to give our special thanks to the members of the European Parliament who supported the initiate – in the face of Eva Maydell (Paunova) and Maria Gabriel. Thanks to their engagement with the cause a few young had the opportunity to see what is happening behind the scenes of institutions such as the European Parliament and to get familiar with the work there.” she added.

In total all the projects that took part in the competitions were 84, implemented by 57 companies and NGOs. The national internship initiative “We are staying in Bulgaria” was chosen for the finals in the category “Investor in knowledge” between 17 nominations. The selection of winners in the Annual awards for responsible business 2016 was done by an independent jury consisting of 12 members – the president of the jury was Yordanka Fandakova – mayor of Sofia and the members were respected business professional, people from the governmental and non-governmental sector, academicals and media.

This is the second reward in a row for the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria from Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum. Last year’s award for responsible business was given to their landmarking initiative – Leadership academy, which was realized in cooperation with UniCredit Bulbank, it won first place in the category “Investor in human capital and labor conditions”