Career Forum for Bulgarians Abroad Held in Vienna

Dimitrina Solakova

The career forum's opening event (Bulgaria Wants You Photo)

Vienna,

04.11.2023 15:12

(BTA)

A career forum for Bulgarian abroad was unveiled here on Saturday. Titled "Career and Life: Why in Bulgaria?", the forum is the third event in Europe organized by the Bulgaria Wants You platform but the first forum where the institutions are taking part alongside private companies, the organizers said.

Participating are 23 Bulgarian and foreign companies as well as representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the National Employment Agency. A representative of the Bulgarian Embassy in Austria gives visitors information about the documents that Bulgarians studying or working in Austria need to return to Bulgaria.

The career forum is expected to attract over 1,000 Bulgarians living abroad. It is supported by the Bulgarian Embassy in Austria and Societa Bulgarica, the association of Bulgarians in Vienna.

Opening the forum, Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov said that he and his team are honoured to be attending. "It was important for the State too to be part of this project. We have to make Bulgaria a place where people stay. When the institutions and businesses join efforts, we will succeed in convincing young people to return to to the fatherland," he said. In his words, trust in institutions should be restored, and young people can contribute to their development. He gave several examples of successful Bulgarian companies. "Bulgaria not only wants you: Bulgaria needs you," he told the attending Bulgarians.

Andrey Arnaudov, co-founder of Bulgaria Wants You, told the attendees that they should regard the platform as a bridge to work and life in Bulgaria.

Ivan Hristov, co-founded of Bulgaria Wants You, said that Bulgaria already has something to give them, not just to promise them.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Austria Desislava Naydenova-Gospodinova said that the Bulgarian community there consists of 40,000 people; their average age is just under 34 years. The Bulgarian community in Austria is among the best structured: Bulgarian schools, organizations, ensembles, all of which play the role of making one feel at home while also serving as a bridge to the fatherland.

Ahead of the career forum, Economy Minister Bogdanov commented: "Our main goal is to make Bulgaria a country that young people want to stay in and those living and working abroad want to return to. This is the place for their successful career, this is the place where they can build a home and career, to make their incomes and contribute to the development of our country."

/DS/