The ninth consecutive edition of the initiative started on August 2 with trainings by professionals from leading companies on the Bulgarian market

On August 2, the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (CWBB) launched the ninth National Internship Initiative, “Staying in Bulgaria”, conducted in partnership with A1 for the fifth year in a row. The program provides an opportunity for representatives of generation Z (born between 1995 and 2005), who are already interns in CWBB’s member companies, to acquire additional knowledge and skills directly from established specialists in various professional fields. The aim of the initiative is to give guidance to young people about the possibilities for future realization, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning.

The official start of the program was given by Tsvetanka Mincheva, Chair of the CWBB Board and CEO of UniCredit Bulbank.

“For the second year, I’m kicking off this initiative with joy and with the emotion of a person who started their career in the bank I currently lead as an intern. Everything is possible and the future is on your side, because you have already made the right choice – to invest your summer in acquiring new knowledge and skills in one of the companies that are CWBB members and at the same time take the extra step of participating in our national internship program, which has become one of the emblematic initiatives for the council,” said Tsvetanka Mincheva.

She pointed out that a total of 14 of the interns at UniCredit Bulbank have joined the program, who will also be ambassadors of the CWBB activities. “I’d like to thank A1 for the commitment and excellent organization of this initiative thanks to which more young people learn about the good opportunities offered by businesses in our country,” said Mincheva.

Over the course of a month, young people will have the opportunity to upgrade their competencies acquired at university through a series of seven free specialized trainings led by established professionals in various business fields. The topics of the leactures inclide “Presentation skills”, “Effective business communication”, “How to prepare and present yourself at an interview”, “Building a personal brand on social networks”, “The benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion in the team”, ” Project Management’ and “Business Simulation – Personal Investments”. The lecturers, long-time specialists from A1, UniCredit Bulbank, Nestlé and M-Gas, will acquaint the young people with basic concepts and the necessary skills related to the topics through examples from their own work.

After completing the online training, the trainees will have the opportunity to visit companies such as A1, Nestle, Elektrohold Bulgaria, Lidl, Siemens and SumUp on site and learn about the role and operational work of individual teams. Within the program, participants will be able to learn more about the importance of corporate social responsibility by joining a volunteer initiative organized by A1. Upon active participation in the trainings and planned activities, the young people will receive an official certificate for successfully completing the program.

Miglena Uzunova-Tsekova, Senior Director of Human Resources at A1 Bulgaria, commented at the opening of the initiative: “Our support for the successful career start and professional development of young people in Bulgaria is part of A1’s mission. For the fifth year now, we have supported and in a broader aspect the entry of the next generation of specialists into the real business environment to more successfully take their first steps from university halls to their dream profession through CWBB’s program “Staying in Bulgaria”. With the National Initiative’s diverse program for interns at the Council’s member companies, we create valuable opportunities for them to build on the knowledge gained during their education and the practical skills of their internship with important aspects of working in a corporate environment. I believe that each of them will benefit fully from the synthesized knowledge and practical guidance on the social skills necessary for working in business, regardless of professional field and industry.”

With the creation of the Internship Initiative, CWBB has set as one of the important goals of the organization to encourage young people to develop their talent in Bulgaria and through the program to give them:

• Valuable skills for modern practices in a real business environment with which they can enrich their knowledge;
• An opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with their colleagues;
• An opportunity to get familiar with different business models and diverse industries;
• An opportunity to join a volunteer initiative.

In 2022, more than 80 young people joined CWBB’s National Internship Program and more than 25% of the those participants that graduated remained in permanent employment in the member companies of the Council, in which they interned.