Safaricom has renewed its partnership with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), as part of the development of competent and qualified telecommunication engineers in Kenya.
The collaboration, which has been on-going since December 2008, is part of a proactive approach to developing relevant work-place skills and experience by partnering with institutions of higher learning.
“Safaricom is happy to contribute to the education and training needs of competent telecommunications engineers for the local and international markets. We believe that the future of our industry depends largely on the ability and quality of the staff we engage,” said Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore during the signing ceremony held at JKUAT.
Collymore lauded JKUAT’s commitment to produce competent engineers and pledged Safaricom’s support for the partnership, saying it would promote a culture of innovation.
He cited the winning applications from the university’s students – Masai Abel and Edna Mugoshi- during the first inter-universities Huawei Android Applications Challenge (HAAC), as examples of how students can pioneer innovation in Kenya.
“For us at Safaricom, institutions of higher learning are a rich and reliable source of young innovative minds that will one day yield life-changing technological breakthroughs. We are increasingly looking for highly skilled graduates who can make a real difference in our company,” said Mr. Collymore.
Under the MoU, Safaricom is supporting JKUAT in the development of relevant curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication and Information Engineering degree course.
Students have also received support from the telecoms company through sponsorship of student-organized tech expo’s, awards, and training of students.
JKUAT Vice Chancellor Prof Mabel Imbuga said the partnership is an excellent example of how the corporate sector can enrich and contribute positively to human resource training and development in the country.
