Mt. Kenya University students will now be able to work with the United Nations (UN) agencies as university volunteers, after the institute signed MoU with UN Volunteers (UNV) programme.
Through the programme, selected students will be deployed to volunteer in several areas of UN peace and development work within East and Southern African region.
This makes the university the first in Africa to sign such an agreement.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at MKUs main campus in Thika town on Friday, the UNV Executive Coordinator, Olivier Adam said that the initiative will expose the students to the global job market.
He said those who will be enrolled in the programme will stand a chance in getting UN job offers once they complete their studies.
“The students will become exposed and will acquire the necessary skills to make it in the global job market. Those recruited will stand a chance of being employed by the UN,” he said.
The MKU’s Council Vice Chairman, Dr. Vincent Gichuru Gaitho said told the students to embrace the opportunity, saying the local job market was shrinking due to a myriad of challenges.
He underscored the need for universities to have hands-on courses that provide students with skill to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Dr. Gaitho also called for collaborations and networking between institutions of higher learning and other agencies aimed at providing their students with jobs, internships and exposure.
At the same time, the university also signed an MOU with Makerere University, School of Business Studies that will see the two institutions collaborate in areas of business proposals to promote entrepreneurship skills.
The best proposals will be incubated and actualized every semester.
Among those in attendance during the event were MKU staff and UN volunteering program officials.
By Muoki Charles
