Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) has launched a program aimed at providing university students an opportunity to learn by exposing them to the bank.
The program is open to continuing and graduate students with intakes four times a year. The bank welcomed the first cohort in a ceremony presided over by DTB Group CEO and Managing Director, Nasim Devji.
The first batch of students has been recruited in partnership with accredited universities. The students recruited students from the University of Nairobi, Mount Kenya University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Strathmore Business school and Management University Africa. The students will go through a two-week program with an additional incentive.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Devji outlined the thinking behind the Job Shadowing Program, “We aim, with the Job Shadowing Program, to give the students who are still in university as well as graduates to see for themselves how the world of work operates. This is to encourage the youth to engage themselves in potential career avenues, and help harness the talent of youth in this country.”
DTB Head of Human Resources, Lillian Ngala, said the Bank seeks to play a critical role in ensuring graduates have the right skills for the workplace.
“At DTB we’re committed to enriching lives and give these students a chance to experience the work place. We want to bridge the gap between the theory students are given in school and bringing in the practical experience of the world of work. This is the first cohort of this year, with three more to follow each quarter,” said Ms. Ngala.
The students have begun with a comprehensive one-day orientation at DTB’s head office on Mombasa Road. They will thereafter be placed in various branches and departments of the Bank, to gain work exposure for a two-week period.
DTB will cascade the Job Shadowing program to all parts of the country from the second cohort moving forward later this year.