Cytonn Foundation, the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) arm of Cytonn Investments, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Eldoret (UoE), to offer mentorship and training to its students after they graduate. The Cytonn Young Leaders Programme (CYLP), will provide students from the university an opportunity to gain work experience at the firm in the fields of innovation, real estate, HR, investments, marketing, quantity survey, ICT, and law, among others.
Prof. Violet Mugalava Director LPC from UoE and Anne Joseph, Human Resources Senior Associate at Cytonn, signing the MoU.
Speaking at the forum, Cytonn’s Human Resources Senior Associate, Anne Joseph noted, “In Cytonn’s journey towards becoming the leading Investments Manager in Africa, it would be a vision easily achieved by getting the right talent on board. Finding the right talent still remains a challenge for high performing companies such as Cytonn Investments, and increased partnerships such as the one formed today with the University of Eldoret, where we already have benefited from current alumni, cements our desire to attract, train and retain the right people.”
The programme, which commenced in January 2015 with an inaugural class of 6 investment interns, has trained over 500 young leaders from various universities across the country and offered jobs to about 150 of them. The progress of individuals who leave at the end of the programme is tracked, and most of them have had a sharp start as they begin fulfilling careers.
The MoU meeting taking place at the UoE liaison office at Pension Towers in Nairobi.
The Director of Partnerships at the University of Eldoret, Professor Violet Mugalavai, lauded the initiative, stating that it was a great avenue for capacity building amongst the student population from the university, as they sought to align themselves to demands of the job market. She added that the Cytonn Young Leaders Programme had a great strategy in coaching the graduates and making them ready for absorption into the job market. “In my view, skill set development from an early age is necessary in moving the country towards the actualization of Vision 2030,” concluded Prof. Mugalavai.
CYLP falls under Cytonn Foundation’s Training and Mentorship pillar that seeks to ensure training and development of everyone that goes through the programme. Participants are exposed to the work environment comprehensively and practically.
The UoE and Cytonn teams interacting after the event.
Cytonn has previously partnered with University of Embu and Moi University and seeks to sign MoUs with 5 more universities by the end of 2018 as part of its CSI efforts in mentorship and career growth. For one to join the programme, they ought to have achieved at least a B+ or equivalent in high school, graduated or expects to graduate with at least a second class (upper division) degree from a recognized university, demonstrate leadership qualities, and be committed to succeeding in a team context.
