Embassy Press Release

Remarks Delivered By Chargé d'Affaires Jeri Guthrie-Corn On The Occasion Of The 2009 Start Internship Program Launch

Chargé d'Affaires, Jeri Guthrie-Corn offering her remarks at the launching of the 2009 START Internship Program. Bucharest, March 18, 2009 (Lucian Crusoveanu / Public Diplomacy Office)

- RELATED INFO -

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

Chargé d'Affaires, Jeri Guthrie-Corn (L) offering her remarks at the launching of the 2009 START Internship Program. Bucharest, March 18, 2009 (Lucian Crusoveanu / Public Diplomacy Office)

Howard Johnson Hotel, Bucharest
March 18, 2009

Mister Ambassador, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Buna ziua. Thank you for your kind invitation to today's event. As some of you may know, this is my second time in Romania -- I first served here in 1989 for the last six months of the Ceausescu regime, Romanians’ Revolution to take back their freedom, and the beginning of democracy here -- and so I am very excited to be back to witness the tremendous changes Romania has undergone and to experience many aspects of that progress firsthand. Of course the glass office towers are impressive, and I enjoy going to the malls and Cineplex. But the less obvious changes impress me and my husband the most: flowers and playgrounds in the parks, food in the markets, Christmas lights (Christmas only became legal with the December 1989 Revolution), happy faces and no food lines.

In the new Romania, I think the START internship program is proof of the significant progress in the past 20 years; it is exactly the kind of public- private partnership that is leading Romania forward.

I know that, right up until his departure late last year, former Ambassador Nicholas Taubman was a steady advocate for this program, reflecting the Embassy's strong interest in supporting both companies and students here in Romania. I am pleased to continue that support.

We have a long history of using internships in the United States to provide valuable training and work experience for students, while offering businesses an excellent means for identifying and recruiting new talent. The runaway success of the very first START program in 2008, with over 600 students and 60 companies participating, is evidence of the importance and potential of this program to provide similar benefits here in Romania.

I want to commend the START organizers for building on last year's success by improving and expanding the program beyond Bucharest, to include students and businesses in other key cities in Romania. I am fully aware that, in the current economic situation, this program presents some challenges for companies, and that the internship opportunities they can offer may be more modest in 2009.

Nevertheless, I salute all the participating companies for their long-term commitment to building workforce skills among young Romanians despite the current crisis. Similarly, I hope students will recognize that the "real world" business experience they gain through these internships is far more valuable than any short-term salary considerations. I understand that the START program itself is adapting to the current situation by making better use of Internet-based tools to bring companies and students together, thus reducing costs and streamlining procedures. That kind of flexibility will serve the program well in the years ahead.

Let me close by thanking once again those organizations which have worked so hard to make this program a success, especially the American Chamber of Commerce, fellow chambers representing other countries, and Junior Achievement. I trust that today’s launch marks the beginning of another very successful season, and I look forward to hearing more about your experiences over the coming summer. Multumesc, si mult succes.

More details about this program can be found at www.startinternship.ro

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