The project enables companies to hire interns on an employment contract during the summer. It provides an opportunity for unemployed, inactive and job-seeking individuals, including students, to be included in practice at a real workplace.
The internship is carried out under a full-time or part-time employment contract, for a period of up to 6 months. Participants receive a salary in the amount of the minimum wage for the country, as well as a daily transportation allowance depending on the place of work. The work is carried out under the supervision of a mentor appointed by the employer. The project also provides specific incentives for employers.
The Employment Agency reimburses the costs of remuneration and insurance for the period of the internship. A remuneration is also provided for the mentors – employees of the enterprise who guide and support the participant during the internship. When concluding an open-ended contract with a young person who has successfully completed the internship, the employer receives an additional incentive – reimbursement of social security contributions for six months. The idea is for young people aged 16 to 29 who are on summer vacation and companies to benefit from the “Youth Internships“ project, funded by the “Human Resources Development“ Program 2021 - 2027.
"The main goal is to help young people, including those without experience, acquire practical skills," said Smilen Valov, Executive Director of the Employment Agency, at a meeting today with Eng. Plamen Panchev, founder and director of the Trakia Economic Zone /TEZ/.
The two visited the Technological Complex at the Vocational High School of Mechanical Engineering /PGM/ - Plovdiv, which was implemented with the assistance of the TEZ team - the largest public-private industrial park in Eastern Europe, and the gratuitous financial assistance of the companies located in the zone - Maxcom and Milara International. The complex of laboratories with high-tech equipment of the two companies and the Vocational Training Center “Trakia“ at the TEZ is a model of what a modern, modern vocational school should look like.
Employers can apply for the project “Youth Practices“ electronically through the website of the Employment Agency https://www.az.government.bg/pages/mladejki-praktiki/. Consultations and detailed explanations can also be obtained at the local Labor Office, said Smilen Valov. This program facilitates companies in conducting summer internships for graduates from partner schools and universities, and students gain work experience.