Bulgaria Promotes a Model of High-School Students Entrepreneurship Training

The Bulgarian Training Firms Network was the single good practice from Bulgaria invited to present a model of entrepreneurship training at the Annual Conference of the European Charter of Small and Medium Enterprises in June, 2008 in Slovenia. The news was announced by Mrs. Daria Mavrudieva, Manager of the Centre of TF at the XI International Fair of Training Firms TF FEST 2008 in Plovdiv.

It has been the third year TF FEST shows very good cooperation by the educational sector - the Centre of Training Firms in the secondary vocational schools and real business - the International Fair- Plovdiv and the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum.

600 students-exhibitors from 33 schools presented their companies, traded with other training companies, negotiated with their partners. Representatives of Unitemp and KRAS took part in the commission for accessment of the exhibitors. At the event the Bulgarian Youth Business Leaders Forum also had their second meeting working in 5 working groups: Youth Projects and Initiatives, Youth Cooperation; Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Resources Management and Development, Corporate Image and Event Management within the TF Network.

The concept of CSR and the initiative Business Hour were presented by Mr. Stamen Tassev, BBLF Executive Manager, at a teachers' meeting within the programme of the TF FEST. International trade - procedures and documentation flow, a lecture by Mr. Minko Vassilevski, Manager of "MW Logistica", is one of the meeting opportunities school and business can have for the future of Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian TF Network nowadays comprises 290 students companies from 90 schools in 53 towns of Bulgaria - approximately 3500 students, age range 15-19, per year. The Network has been working with the support of the Bulgarian Centre of Training Firms, which is a division of the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria and has been a member of the Worldwide Network of TF EUROPEAN/PENINTERNATIONAL from 2003. The membership facilitates the international cooperation and trade of all Bulgarian training companies.

The fairs of training firms provide very good conditions as meeting point for the business and students, which are usually very enthusiastic and skilled at their stands. It is the right venue real business can evaluate student's performance and invite young people to join their apprenticeship programs and create mentorships with training companies.

The last challenge for the socially responsible business is the e-Job Agency PRACTICA of the Bulgarian Centre of Training Firms, a project, financed by the World Bank. Is it possible to meet students looking for job on-line - go to http://praktika.buct.org.