• 29 trainees passed the learning training
• LEADERS.talk 2019 was organized in partnership with A1 Bulgaria

The fifth edition of young.LEADERS completed with officially certification of participants, part of the National Internship Initiative “Staying in Bulgaria” of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (CWBB).

Young.LEADERS.talk 2019 was held in partnership with A1 Bulgaria. For 5 weeks, 29 trainees at Council members companies had the opportunity to upgrade their skills and get acquainted with the real business free of charge through five training and five visits to leading companies in the country, which are part of the CWBB.

We have created the National Internship Initiative with the primary purpose to support young people in starting their careers, to support their development, to give them skills and knowledge that will allow them to become more successful and in the long run to stay in Bulgaria. We are proud of that in five years the program, position itself as the largest internship program in the country, ” said dr. Eng. Boriana Manolova, the chairwoman of the Council of Women in Business and CEO of Siemens Bulgaria, in a speech at the closing ceremony.

 

In addition to the current trainees, who took part in the program, the event, which took place at the A1 Bulgaria headquarters, was attended by members of CWBB and participants who have completed the past four editions, who have been already working at companies member of CWBB.

The 1000-mile journey begins with the first step. I believe that your participation in the National Internship Initiative of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria can be for you this very important first step toward a confident working lifetime.” Added Mrs. Manolova, addressing to the successfully completed the young.LEADERS.talk 2019 program.

“Continuous learning and development of personal and professional skills are part of A1’s corporate culture”. We believe that this is the way to be successful and we are glad to share these values with the Council. Our partnerships give us the opportunity to support young people at the beginning of their careers, to help them make decisions about their first steps in the business”. Said Miglena Uzunova-Tzekova, member of Managment board of CWBB and senior director Human Resources of A1 Bulgaria, at the graduation certification ceremony.

In a special welcome sent to the participants, Bulgarian MEP Eva Maidel, who is the patron of the initiative, highlighted that “Еven the best education does not guarantee success because the economy and occupations are developing much faster than the curriculum. Young people need practical experience and skills for an occupation. Therefore, the Internship Initiative of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria is one of the best practices for improving the skills and adaptability of young people. I have been supporting it since its beginnings, because I believe it is an instrument with which more young Bulgarians find self-fulfillment and desire to develop in Bulgaria. ”

According to Mariya Mavrudieva, chief executive officer of CWBB, The most valuable part of the program is the creation of contacts and community among the participants. “You alone saw the business opportunities to build a successful career in Bulgaria,” she added.

Some of the graduates will remain employed by the companies, where they have been in training.

The goal of young.LEADERS.talk 2019 is to help the youngest future professionals to upgrade their qualities and skills, to enter the world of business and to get information about development opportunities, suitable environment and incentive for realization in Bulgaria.

The current National Internship Initiative “Staying in Bulgaria” brings together 40 companies, members of the Council. In total more than 13,000 young people have started their careers as trainees in its first edition 5 years ago.

In 2020 forthcoming, the new sixth edition of the initiative, which will be further upgraded to make it more useful for future participants.

Information about the National Internship Initiative and the young.LEADERS.talk program can be found at www.internships.womeninbusiness.bg

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The Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria is a non-governmental organization in favour of society. Its members are top managers and representatives of companies and organizations in Bulgaria. Among the objectives of the Council are the popularization of good practices and programs that encourage the professional career development of the women in the small and middle-sized business and their development in management positions; the development and establishment of professional values in the civil society, education, science, culture, technology and the support of the young specialists and talents so that they can realize their potential in Bulgaria and to help young people from disadvantaged social upbringing in their education. 

 

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A1 part of A1 Group is a leading provider of digital services and telecommunication solutions in Bulgaria. The company offers mobile and fixed services, high speed broadband, digital and satellite TV, including four owned sport channels – MAX Sport 1, MAX Sport 2 and MAX Sport 3, MAX Sport 4, online payments solutions, own music streaming platform, cloud and IoT solutions to 5 million customers. In 2018 A1 Bulgaria reported turnover of EUR 446.2 million and EBITDA of EUR 138 million.

A1 Group is a leading provider of digital services and communications solutions in Central and Eastern Europe with more than 24 million customers, currently operating in seven countries: Austria (А1), Bulgaria (А1 Bulgaria), Croatia (А1 Croatia), Slovenia (A1 Slovenia), Belarus (Velcom), Serbia (Vip mobile) and Republic of North Macedonia (one Vip). A1 Group’s turnover in 2018 amounted to EUR 4.47 billion and its EBITDA was EUR 1.38 million. The portfolio of A1 Group includes voice services, high speed internet, multimedia, IT, data traffic and online payments solutions. A1 has a stable shareholder in América Móvil – the 4th largest telecom company in terms of customers in the world.