200 Strathmore students get WPP-Scangroup internship

WPP-Scangroup chief executive Bharat Thakrar. Two hundred students from Strathmore University will be taken on as interns at WPP-Scangroup from this month. FILE 

In Summary

• WPP-Scangroup CEO Bharat Thakrar welcomed the partnership saying that Strathmore is a reputable and world-class university with a spectacular Research and Innovation Technology Lab – @iLabAfrica.
• Statistics from the Youth Employment in Africa conference held in 2014 showed that Kenya’s youth aged between 15-34 years form 35per cent of the population and have the highest unemployment rate of 67per cent.
• “Our aim is to provide students with skills and a sense of professionalism that complements their classroom knowledge. In addition to this, we would like to show the younger population that there are exciting opportunities available in Kenya as they venture into the work space”, Mr Thakrar said.

By OTIATO GUGUYU
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Two hundred students from Strathmore University will be taken on as interns at listed marketing and communications services company WPP-Scangroup from this month.

In a five-year deal signed on Monday, Strathmore University will also partner with WPP-Scangroup and Google in developing a curriculum for a digital marketing course to be offered by the university as a way of promoting technology incubation and growth in Kenya.

A select group of new graduates will intern either in advertising, digital marketing, public relations or research, enabling them to get skills and work experience under WPP Scangroup.

WPP-Scangroup CEO Bharat Thakrar welcomed the partnership, saying that Strathmore is a reputable and world-class university with a spectacular Research and Innovation Technology Lab – @iLabAfrica.

He said that hiring the best from the institution would ensure growth and sustainability in line with the group’s vision of developing marketing and communications across sub-Saharan Africa.

SKILLS

“Our aim is to provide students with skills and a sense of professionalism that complements their classroom knowledge. In addition to this, we would like to show the younger population that there are exciting opportunities available in Kenya as they venture into the work space”, Mr Thakrar said.

Statistics from the Youth Employment in Africa conference held in 2014 showed that Kenya’s youth aged between 15 and 34 form 35 per cent of the population and have the highest unemployment rate of 67 per cent.

“The partnership with WPP Scangroup will see attraction and possible retention of the best talent that graduates from our university,” Dr Sevilla, Director - @iLabAfrica, said.

Senior managers, experts, lecturers and students will have a platform to explore global and regional trends and insights in the digital, research and communications world providing current case studies to aid in tutoring.

Google Kenya Country Manager Charles Murito said his company was very excited to be partnering with Strathmore and WPP-Scangroup to help them develop a world-class digital skills training curriculum, adding that he was confident that the partnership would go a long way towards addressing the lack of skills in digital marketing in Kenya.

It is envisaged that this course will spur new ideas and innovations as more Kenyans understand and integrate Digital Marketing in business and commerce