NAIROBI, KENYA: Students from Strathmore University on Tuesday participated in a fruitful mentorship session held at Kenya Breweries Limited. The students, studying different disciplines, engaged key business leaders at the brewery, around how to excel in their pursuit of career excellence.
Among the critical factors that the students had an opportunity to engage in included critical thinking, problem-solving skills, discipline, strong ethics and integrity - some of the high demand soft skills that are increasingly shaping success in the job market.
Separately speaking during a past career day, Paul Kasimu, EABL Human Resource Director, said, “Public and private sector organisations need to scale up efforts aimed at addressing the widening skills gap among youth joining Kenya’s workforce, to help exploit the country’s full economic potential.”
Mentoring has been acclaimed as important, not only because of the knowledge and skills students can learn from mentors, but also because it provides professional socialisation and personal support to facilitate success in higher schools of learning and beyond.
Research released by the Univerisity of Nebraska- Linclon shows that students who experience good mentoring also have a greater chance of securing academic tenure-track positions, or greater career advancement potential in administration or sectors outside the university.
Speaking during a related forum, the EABL career day held last year, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Prof. Joseph Kaimenyi noted that one of the many measures that need to be taken in order to address the widening skills gap is up scaling the workforce capability, an element that can greatly tap from private sector support.
The EABL Foundation Scholarships started in Kenya in 2001 as the Guinness Strathmore Scholarships with 10 scholars. The Foundation has to date sponsored more than 200 students in different Public and Private Universities, in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The scholarship provides tuition fee, accommodation fee, a monthly stipend for the students, as well as mentorship opportunities.
