UniCredit Bulbank has launched its annual internship program and will accept applications from 400 college students and young professionals this year.

Paid internships last for three to six months and offer the opportunity of a long-term career at UniCredit, according to a company announcement.

This year's interns can work at UniCredit Bulbank or its affiliates, UniCredit Leasing, UniCredit Factoring and UniCredit Consumer Financing.

In the past five years, more than 2,000 people have participated in UniCredit's internship program. More than 25 percent of them continued working for UniCredit after the internship ended.

“There is great interest in the internship program every year," Ivan Papazov, senior manager of recruitment at UniCredit Bulbank, said in the announcement. "It is an excellent opportunity for students to acquire practical skills in various spheres and to get a closer view of the way a financial institution with leading positions on the Bulgarian and the European market operates."

Last month, the bank was named a Top Employer in Bulgaria by the Top Employers Institute which is based in Amsterdam. In its 25-year history, the institute has noted more than 1,200 Top Employers in 116 countries.