<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>King Felipe VI and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, have presided over the commemorative event for the 50th anniversary of the ICEX Scholarship Programme, which, since its launch in 1975, “has provided more than 9,000 young people with the opportunity to develop their careers in international markets and contribute to the internationalisation of the Spanish economy”.</strong></h4> The event took place this past Tuesday at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid and was attended by more than 400 people, including, in addition to the King and the Minister, several personalities from the business, institutional and academic fields. “Since their creation in 1975, ICEX Scholarships have been a key tool in the training of specialized talent in foreign trade, providing more than 9,000 young people with the opportunity to develop their careers in international markets and contribute to the internationalization of the Spanish economy,” said ICEX Spain Export and Investment, the public business entity of the State Secretariat for Trade for the promotion of the internationalization of companies. “The ICEX Scholarship Program not only offers training in internationalization, but is also a professional springboard with a high rate of employability,” since “90% of scholarship recipients find work upon completing the program and 71% are hired by the company where they did their internship, most with permanent contracts (86%) and salaries above average,” added the press release. In the case of multilateral organizations, job placement reaches 76%, with a 100% hiring rate in entities such as the UN or CAF. Furthermore, 68 former interns are currently working in European institutions, which reflects the competitiveness of these professionals in the international arena. During the event, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Business stated that “the ICEX scholarships have been much more than a programme, they have been a driving force of change for the Spanish economy”, because “they have accompanied our companies in their conquest of international markets, bringing talent and innovation as their hallmark”. At the closing of the event, the King highlighted the importance of the ICEX intern network, made up of “more than 9,000 professionals” present “in more than 90 countries” and made up of “very diverse and highly qualified profiles that are increasingly in demand by Spanish companies”. “You are key, due to your knowledge and experience, in helping companies to diversify markets, promote their internationalisation, and, consequently, the greater openness of our economy”, he continued. “As our history shows, we have always fared better when we have opened ourselves up and projected ourselves outwards and shown ourselves to be open and receptive to the world,” he concluded.
