The government has been urged to create more internship opportunities for students in higher learning institutions to enable them acquire and develop valuable technical and professional skills as well as work experience.
Speaking during an event where Juja MP George Koimburi issued Ksh10 million in bursary cheques to students from various institutions, university students led by a third-year Kenyatta University (KU) student Alfred Muriuki decried lack of proper attachment and internship systems in the country.
They thus called on the government to fast-track establishment and development of designated spaces where students can be deployed to prepare them for the work environment, saying that they are key to helping them become competitive in the job market as they hone their skills.
“We suffer so much to find attachment opportunities simply because we are so green to the work environment. We have zero network, there are limited opportunities and most other companies do not believe in having interns at their workplace. This makes our lives very hard,” he said.
They decried zero connections in their fields of study, limited opportunities in various sectors and non-payment of interns as some of the challenges causing failure by many to undergo the crucial training that is part of their coursework and is a crucial element before consideration for graduation.
“We also have some courses that are little known even by employers and getting attached while studying is a daunting task, for instance, I study a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion which most people don’t know of. Most companies require thorough explanation about the course and how my university training can be beneficial to them,” Margaret Wangui Ndung’u, another student stated.
Their calls come days after the government announced establishment of 8,000 internship opportunities for students in higher learning institutions which will be fully funded by the government through the Public Service Internship Program (PSIP).
National Assembly Budget Committee Chairperson Ndindi Nyoro announced that students under the programme will be taking home Ksh25,000 monthly.
MP Koimburi urged the government to increase the slots to accommodate more students who struggle to find an opportunity to complement their theoretical teachings with hands-on practical skills required in the job market.
He said that the government is working tirelessly to improve the lives of youngsters by equipping them with key skills that can also help them start income-generating activities to become self-employed.
“We okayed the creation of 8,000 opportunities for the youth in our universities through an internship programme that the government will fund. The students in the programme will be paid about Ksh25,000 every month but I feel while this is a good start, more opportunities should be created to ensure we accommodate as many students as possible,” he said.
The lawmaker at the same time announced that plans to put up a technical institute in the constituency were in top gear to ensure that Form 4 leavers who fail to join universities find an alternative institution to acquire technical knowledge in fields of their choice.
By Kamau Njoroge
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