In the spirit of giving back to the industry, Agricultural Employers’ Association in collaboration with National Industrial Training Institute (NITA) started a graduate apprenticeship programme in January 2020 whereby the sole purpose of the programme was to help the graduates gain practical experience in a specified industrial occupation. Upon completion of their 6 months course work, the team was to be placed in different companies within the membership of the Association to gain practical skills and knowledge and understand operations better.
After evaluation by NITA and inspection of the AEA’s facilities to establish capacity and resources available to take up graduate apprentices, the Association embarked on a recruitment process that promoted meritocracy, equity and diversity. Out of the more than 100 applicants in the HR and Finance Professions, 5 were picked to start the programme.
As fate would have it and due to Covid-19 outbreak and its declaration as a global pandemic by World Health Organization, the Association had to put in place interventions to mitigate and contain the spread of the virus and some of the measures included suspending the programme. The temporary measure in April 2020 was meant to decongest the office and ensure that everybody was safe.
The programme resumed in October 2020 after the Covid-19 containment measures eased up and at the time of the resumption, 3 of the apprentices had already gotten jobs within the membership and 2 came back and completed the programme in December. The Association prides in the fact that all the 5 apprentices were employed by its members i.e. Groove Ltd, Galaxy Flowers, Black Tulips group as HR and Accounts assistants.
As the economy opened up in 2021 and the future of the country looked promising amid Covid-19, AEA engaged yet another group of 3 apprentices from the 27 shortlisted candidates of the HR field.
The three were put on a 6 months contract and just like their predecessors they were vigorously trained and exposed to practicals through visits to member farms across the country. Among the areas they have been training on were;
- Labour Laws
- Interviewing skills
- Facilitation skills
- Sexual harassment Management/Supervisory skills
- ILO Convention
- The wages order
- Grievance/Conflict handling procedures
- Disciplinary Procedures
- Accounting Reporting & Corporate Financial Management
- Computation of employees final dues/Terminal dues
Among other key pertinent areas that touch on their profession.
After 4 months into the programme with intense training and exposure, Shalimar Flowers Ltd offered employment to the three trainees with effect from 1st July 2021! The team was placed in different farms namely Shalimar Flowers; Mahee Farm, Kabuku Farm and Naivasha Farm.
In the spirit of giving back to the industry, Agricultural Employers’ Association in collaboration with National Industrial Training Institute (NITA) started a graduate apprenticeship programme in January 2020 whereby the sole purpose of the programme was to help the graduates gain practical experience in a specified industrial occupation. Upon completion of their 6 months course work, the team was to be placed in different companies within the membership of the Association to gain practical skills and knowledge and understand operations better. After evaluation by NITA and inspection of the AEA’s facilities to establish capacity and resources available to take up graduate apprentices, the Association embarked on a recruitment process that promoted meritocracy, equity and diversity. Out of the more than 100 applicants in the HR and Finance Professions, 5 were picked to start the programme. As fate would have it and due to Covid-19 outbreak and its declaration as a global pandemic by World Health Organization, the Association had to put in place interventions to mitigate and contain the spread of the virus and some of the measures included suspending the programme. The temporary measure in April 2020 was meant to decongest the office and ensure that everybody was safe. The programme resumed in October 2020 after the Covid-19 containment measures eased up and at the time of the resumption, 3 of the apprentices had already gotten jobs within the membership and 2 came back and completed the programme in December. The Association prides in the fact that all the 5 apprentices were employed by its members i.e. Groove Ltd, Galaxy Flowers, Black Tulips group as HR and Accounts assistants. As the economy opened up in 2021 and the future of the country looked promising amid Covid-19, AEA engaged yet another group of 3 apprentices from the 27 shortlisted candidates of the HR field. The three were put on a 6 months contract and just like their predecessors they were vigorously trained and exposed to practicals through visits to member farms across the country. Among the areas they have been training on were; Labour Laws Interviewing skills Facilitation skills Sexual harassment Management/Supervisory skills ILO Convention The wages order Grievance/Conflict handling procedures Disciplinary Procedures Accounting Reporting & Corporate Financial Management Computation of employees final dues/Terminal dues Among other key pertinent areas that touch on their profession. After 4 months into the programme with intense training and exposure, Shalimar Flowers Ltd offered employment to the three trainees with effect from 1st July 2021! The team was placed in different farms namely Shalimar Flowers; Mahee Farm, Kabuku Farm and Naivasha Farm.