Students to apply for industrial attachment online

By Caleb Mutua

University and college students from both public and private institutions seeking hands-on experience in their areas of specialization can now secure industrial attachment in the job market online.

The online industrial training attachment system will enable students apply for industrial attachment online and at the same time allow employers seeking to attach students in their companies declare attachment vacancies through the internet.

The new system is expected to put a stop to frustrations students go through when tarmacking for industrial attachment, reduce time taken to get attached, cost incurred and reduce paperwork involved in placing students on attachment.

Many courses require college and university students to go for an industrial attachment for them to gain skills and also to put to test the skills they have acquired while in college before they graduate.

“The industrial training and attachment system seeks to ensure coherence and coordination in the delivery of industrial training attachment in the entire nation. It also seeks to address the gap between institutions of learning and the requirement in the labour market ,” Labour Minister John Munyes said in a statement.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour Beatrice Kituyi, who officially launched the system yesterday, said that the portal system is an important milestone in the implementation Vision 2030 which considers science, technology and innovation as a critical driver of modern economy.

Her remarks were echored by Central Organisation 0f Trade Union (Cotu) Deputy Secretary General George Muchahi who acknowledged the role played by employees by mentoring and counseling the students during the three months attachment.

Muchahi also urged the government to raise minimum wages given to graduates. He said that employers cunningly pay graduates peanuts saying that the positions they are offering do not require degree holders.

How the portal operates

Students looking for industrial attachment all over the country will be required to log in to the portal (www.nita.go.ke) and select the name of their institution then submit their name, area of study, when they are ready for attachment and their preferred location of attachment.

Employers on the other hand will also log in to the portal and provide details of placement including the number of slots available and the qualification required.

Nonetheless, Online Industrial Training Attachment System does not provide employers with an opportunity to interview students for purposes of competitive selection.

National Industrial Training Authority (Nita) runs the portal and after receiving a list of companies and vacancies declared and a list of students seeking attachment from various institutions, it nominates students to different companies.

Nita, formerly known as Directorate of Industrial training (Dit), is a state corporation in the Ministry of labour that is mandated with the task of spearheading industrial training through management and supervisory training, Technician, Craft, Skill upgrading and national industrial attachment training among other schemes.

First published in June 2012.