MKU and Bidco Africa signed an MOU
Mount Kenya University and BIDCO Africa entered into a partnership which will see students from MKU gain practical skills on industry requirements.
Prof. Peter Wanderi, Ag. Vice-Chancellor Mount Kenya University exchanging signed MoU with Bidco Africa Group Director Chris Diaz
The partnership was reached through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will see the two work closely on joint academia and industry programs.
“Bidco will offer to our students the much needed industrial field training in the fast pace industrial world. The MoU gives our students a chance to get attachment and internship opportunities at Bidco after which upon successful completion, they may either be retained as employees or get employed elsewhere,” Ag. Vice Chancellor Peter Wanderi said.
Bidco Africa Group Director Chris Diaz noted the move aligns to government efforts on the upskilling of youth coming out of tertiary institutions.
“With Kenya’s unemployment rate at a high of about 9.3 percent and about 55 percent of youth unemployed, this partnership is timely. It comes at a time when we are expanding with ventures in new innovative product categories,” he said.
The collaboration responds to calls on learning institutions to embrace industry benchmarks to keep up with an ever changing job environment. This as graduates continues to face higher odds in landing job opportunities in a high-skill dependent market.
Bidco and MKU are expected to hold joint conferences, workshops and mutually agreed topical areas to align curriculum to industry demands.
Ultimately, the collaboration is expected to introduce students to entrepreneurship with soft skills training to gear them up to be adequately productive at work beyond the seeking of the limited job opportunities.
