350 Students Graduate 5th Edition of BBLF Business Master Classes

Deputy PM Nikolay Vassilev was the VIP to officially close the fifth edition of BBLF's most successful project for your people, the Business Master Classes. The motto of this year's ceremony was ‘What is there for me in Bulgaria'.

"This has been the most successful edition in the Master Classes' five-year history. The Classes themselves have proved to be the most successful educational project of Bulgarian business carried out so far," said BBLF Chair Maxim Behar. "What is even better is that we didn't have to beg even one single company to join us in this project - either as a sponsor, or as a lector. It is companies themselves that were eager to participate. It is this kind of enthusiasm which proves that both companies and young people realize the horrendous gap that exists between business and education in this country can be bridged only through joint and very intensive efforts."

 More than 300 students graduated from this year's Business Master Classes. They were lectured by over 50 top managers from the mightiest companies on the Bulgarian market. An average of 200 students competed for the 50 places in each class.

"I believe success has a formula. Although its exact contents may vary with different people, there is one ingredient that persists, and that is hard work," said Deputy PM and Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Vassilev. "I can only hope that you who have been chosen to get in touch with real business at such an early age, will be its partners in the challenges it has to face in the European Union."

Three students gave presentations on the topic "What is there for me in Bulgaria" and were granted free training courses by AIMS Human Capital; two students received two-way flight tickets from British Airways for innovatively solving a business case; three other students received the chance to dine with the highest-ranking IT experts of BTC AD.

For the first time this year, a partner in the project is also USAID with its ‘Labour Market' project and the Internet portal www.staj.bg. As per the partnership agreement, all students participating in the classes have been presented with the best strategies to win, keep and make the most of internship opportunities.

The next season of the BBLF Business Master Classes begins in October 2005.