Cytonn, University of Embu partner on Graduate Trainee Programme

Cytonn, University of Embu partner on Graduate Trainee Programme

Cytonn Investments has today partnered with the University of Embu under its graduate trainee programme the Cytonn Young Leaders Programme (CYLP). The partnership will see top students from the institution join the CYLP after their graduation and receive mentorship on career growth and leadership in various fields including entrepreneurship, real estate, investments, economics, marketing, quantity survey, ICT and legal.

The Cytonn Young Leaders Programme is an intense and competitive 12-week training programme that exposes fresh university graduates to the office environment and culture. The programme exposes participants to challenging and fulfilling career options, with an emphasis on leadership and problem-solving.

The programme commenced in January 2015, with an inaugural class of 6 investment interns. To date, the programme has had over 426 young leaders from various universities across the country participating with Cytonn offering jobs to 129 of them. The progress of individuals who leave at the end of the programme is tracked and most of them have a head start as they begin fulfilling careers.

Speaking during the officiating ceremony of the partnership at Embu University, Cytonn Investments Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer Edwin H. Dande said that CYLP is an essential recruitment tool as a company is only as good as its’ employees. “For Cytonn, recruitment is a rigorous, decisive and competitive process because our future success depends on recruiting and training the most capable graduates.”

He added: “There exists a gap between the talent churned out by the universities and the actual talent required by the market. In this light, CYLP seeks to fill this gap by moulding the fresh graduates to fit the current job market. For us, the less the experience a trainee has, the better, as we have a clean slate to instil the highest work standards into the trainees.”

Embu University Vice-Chancellor Professor Daniel Mugendi lauded Cytonn Investments’ efforts to empower the youth through CYLP noting that such efforts ensure that university students are ready for the job market.

“Companies in the different markets compete for talented staff who are limited in the market as universities produce graduates who are more book oriented than practical. The partnership between Cytonn and the University of Embu will ensure that the graduates who go through the programme have an edge against their peers. The programme, being very competitive, will ensure that the trainee can work in high-pressure work environments with ease,” said Prof. Mugendi.

CYLP is also an initiative of Cytonn Foundation; the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of Cytonn Investments, under its Training and Mentorship Pillar.