In 2016 the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria organized the second edition of “Staying in Bulgaria” and consolidated its intention to become the largest internship program in the country. Under the patronage of Eva Paunova, member of the European Parliament, the main target of this campaign is to encourage the young people to develop their professional and personal abilities in order to contribute to their own life and country.

The challenging contest “Innovators of the future – Interns 2016” is focused on youth in 11/12 grade of middle-education schools and professional educational establishments as well as on students in Bulgarian and foreign universities. In general all young people with a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship are targeted. The candidates have to generate innovative ideas in one of four categories- ecology and environment, financial services for the future generation, innovations and technologies, transport and logistics.

The best projects in each category win the special prize of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria- visit of the European Parliament in Brussels. Among the other awards are two month long paid internship in leading public and state-owned enterprises, participation in the Leadership Academy of the Council, participation in the internal corporate trainings of the companies, etc.

The national internship initiative “Staying in Bulgaria” is the program with the widest variety of possibilities for internships in all economic sectors in the country- finance, energy industry, public administration, healthcare, manufacture, high technologies, services. It provides young people with the chance to fulfill their potential and to grab the opportunity to penetrate into the real business world as well as to find a suitable background and stimulus for realization in Bulgaria.