KENYA – Pwani Oil, a Kenya based edible oils manufacturer has partnered with Technical Universities of Mombasa (TUM) to undertake joint research, training and mentorship programmes.
Pwani Oil and TUM have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see them collaborate ‘in areas of mutual interest,’ targeting students, staff and communities in Mombasa, coastal region of Kenya.
The partnership is set to benefit about 3000 students who will also focus on knowledge exchange, and community outreach activities.
Through the partnership, TUM students will benefit from a mentorship and internship programmes to enhance their technical skills and “prepare them for future roles and work life in the corporate and industrial world.’’
Pwani Oil Commercial Director Rajul Malde said his company is keen on partnering with institutions such as TUM to improve technical vocational training as well as facilitate sharing of knowledge and conduct joint research, reports Business Daily.
“This partnership will benefit students by giving them practical industrial exposure while providing a platform for collaboration between Pwani Oil and TUM in the areas of research, staff training and information exchange,” said Mr Malde.
He said there is need for linkage between private sector and academia in order to develop technical skills aligned to the needs of labour market especially the manufacturing sector.
TUM Vice Chancellor Laila Abubakar said the partnership will go a long way in helping students nacquire valuable practical experience, while providing a platform for sharing knowledge through joint research activities.
“As a learning institution focused on imparting technical knowledge and nurturing entrepreneurship skills ,we are happy to partner with Pwani Oil in our quest to make our courses relevant to the fast-changing job market,” stated Prof Abubakar.
She added that a tertiary learning institution, TUM has the prerequisite expertise in developing professional courses and training modules targeting specific groups.
“Continuous of learning is an important aspect career development .By collaborating with Pwani Oil, we are now in a position to better understand the need of industrial job market and thus develop relevant short –term courses ,’’she said.
Other than research, the partnership will also focus on training and student mentorship as well as extend to community outreach activities.
The two institutions will also jointly develop short-term training courses and undertake staff development programmes.
