By James Wakahiu
Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) has partnered with five universities in a program that will see students in the institutions of higher learning enrolled in the bank for a two-week job-shadowing programme.
The programme, according to DTB’s Head of Human Resource Lilian Ngala is aimed at providing students with an opportunity to learn about the working world by exposing them to the bank for a specified period
Institutions whose students have been absorbed in the programme are Mount Kenya University (MKU), University of Nairobi (UoN), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Management University of Africa and Strathmore Business School.
The students began with a comprehensive one-day orientation at DTB’s head office on Mombasa Road and will thereafter be placed in various branches and departments of the bank, where they will gain work exposure for a period of two weeks.
“We aim at providing the students, both continuing and graduate students, with an opportunity to learn by observing our employees perform their duties. The programme is important in helping the graduates get hands-on skills for their jobs,” Ngala said.
She said that the programmes also intended to bridge the gap between the theory students get in schools and the practical experience in the job world.
Dr Christopher Mutembei, the Director in charge of MKU Center for Professional Development lauded the DTB for incorporating the University’s students in the programme, saying it will sharpen their skills and prepare them for the job market.
“It’s an opportunity that will make them qualified professionals and make them competitive in the global job market,” Mutembei said.
At the same time, Dr Mutembei revealed that MKU, through the Center for Professional Development, is currently training youths from Kiambu County on diverse skills after being given a nod by the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project.
