East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has announced the launch an apprenticeship programme targeting women university students across East Africa. The programmed will target women undertaking courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Women from technical universities and colleges will be the beneficiaries of the programme, which is also designed to expose them to the supply world in EABL and get them interested in working in it.
Announcing the launch of the new initiative in Kenya, KBL Managing Director Mrs. Jane Karuku said EABL was engaging the gear in elevating and empowering female talent, because the company acknowledges that a diverse culture is intrinsic to the success the business.
Mrs. Karuku said: “At EABL, we are always striving towards achieving gender balance by making deliberate decisions that are aimed at that. Last year, women constituted a third of our workforce here and I am pleased to say that the number has gone up to around 40 percent this year. We remain committed towards this and it is for this reason that we are pushing the empowerment agenda further. We recognise the need to nurture and grow young talent by creating opportunities such as the STEM programme as this is part of our responsibility to the community.”
EABL launched its STEM apprenticeship programme in Kenya by hosting STEM students from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and the Technical University of Kenya at the Tusker Brewery, where they got an opportunity to see the manufacturing process and also to interact with staff.
The visit by the students marked the start of the two-year apprenticeship programme for women STEM students, as a platform to create opportunities for female students and also equip them with hands-on skills that prepare them for the job market.
In addition to the STEM programme, EABL also has another running initiative dubbed Spirited Women spearheaded by Mrs. Karuku. The initiative was launched as a means of inspiring and empowering young professionals within the organisation.