Embassy Press Release

Remarks of Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman on the Ocassion of the START Internship Fair

Ambassador Taubman kicked off the May 23 START Internship Fair in Bucharest, an innovative program designed in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce and the Romanian Prime Minister’s Office that is offering 500 paid summer internships in 64 businesses in Romania to local students. The paid internships are designed to allow young Romanians the opportunity to work and learn in top companies in Romania, rather than having to take menial jobs at home or abroad, as many now do, to pay their way through college.

Over 3,000 students registered at http://www.startinternship.ro to visit booths at Romanian’s main exposition grounds manned by representatives from top firms such as Citi, Avon, Unilever, KPMG, Ernst & Young, GE Money, Microsoft, Ericsson, and Petrom. After opening the fair, Ambassador Taubman toured the fair and spoke with students and volunteers. A few days later he spoke to students in Cluj about the internship program encouraging them to take advantage of the opportunities it offers.

Ambassador Taubman speaks at the press conference launching the START Internship Program. Bucharest, RomExpo, May 23, 2008 (Lucian Crusoveanu, Public Diplomacy Office)

Bucharest, Romania,
May 23, 2008

I am delighted to be here with you on this very special day, the first ever major internship fair in Romania. This is a day I have long hoped for. The response to this idea has been phenomenal, and this program has grown and grown to be the runaway success you see today. When I look around this busy Fair, I can't tell who looks happier: the students who are getting chances to work and learn at leading companies this summer; the companies who have thousands of Romania's best and brightest young people at their doorsteps; or the pioneering organizers of this event who are seeing their Herculean efforts finally bear fruit.

The START Internship Program is a model public/private partnership, with active participation from the Government of Romania, embassies, chambers of commerce, major corporations, NGOs, universities, and student associations. The United States Embassy is proud to have been involved in this effort from the beginning, and we hope this is the start of a permanent program that will keep growing in the years to come.

There are too many people involved to thank without keeping you here for hours, but let me give my sincere thanks to all of you who have worked so hard to set up this historic program. I'm sure that students who have gotten the boost they need to start successful careers, and companies who have found the right young people to help them grow, will thank you as well.

Ambassador Taubman listens to students' impressions about their participation in the START Internship Fair. Bucharest, RomExpo, May 23, 2008 (Lucian Crusoveanu, Public Diplomacy Office)

We have a long history of internships in the United States. They are as important a part of our education system as textbooks and lectures. I was once the Director of Junior Achievement back in my home state of Virginia, so I know first hand that internships are an investment in the future. Internships offer students a chance to gain valuable experience, network with new people, and focus on what kind of career they would like to pursue.

Businesses have just as much, if not more, to gain. In an ever more competitive labor market, internships offer an opportunity to identify and develop young talent early on. Interns also add an infusion of fresh ideas and youthful energy to a company.

But I really don't have to convince you. The nearly 70 participating companies and the thousands of students who have signed up are a testament to the fact that internships are an idea whose time has come in Romania.

I'll share with you what I told Romanian students studying in New York when I met with them earlier this year: Romanians no longer have to go abroad to seek their fortunes, their fortunes are looking for them right here at home. This START Internship Fair is proof that rewarding positions in multi-national companies are now in ample supply here in Romania.

KPMG representative greets Ambassador Taubman at the company’s stand at the START nternship Fair. Bucharest, RomExpo, May 23, 2008 (Lucian Crusoveanu, Public Diplomacy Office)

I know many students used to face a difficult decision every summer: whether to earn money by working abroad, or whether to stay in Romania and go to Costinesti or Vama Veche with their friends. Well, I'm happy to report that now they don't have to choose. Students can have fun with their friends on the weekend, earn money during the week, and learn valuable skills to advance their careers to boot. Now that is what I call progress.

Thank you for your time, and thank you again to all the organizers and participants in this historic event.

More information:

• START Internship
• American Chamber of Commerce
• Remarks of Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman at the Meeting with Students from Universitatea Politehnica, Timisoara

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