Chinese tech firm helping Kenyan youth achieve academic, career goals

NAIROBI, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Filled to capacity, the elegantly furnished auditorium of the University of Nairobi (UONBI) provided an opportunity for Mary Anne Maina, an arts major, to participate in the TECNO fans meet-up event, learn more about flagship products of Chinese Transsion Group and how it can advance her academic interests.

A long-term fan of TECNO smartphones, Maina, 19, said she was glad to learn that the UONBI, Kenya's largest university, had forged close ties with the Chinese firm to help students widen their intellectual and career horizons.

The vivacious youth was among hundreds of students who graced the TECNO fan meet-up event Friday to learn about Transsion's cutting-edge products, internship, training, and employment opportunities.

"I was glad to learn that TECNO's parent company is keen to aid our quest for well-paying jobs by offering internships, training, and mentorships," Maina told Xinhua during an interview on the sidelines of TECNO fans meet-up event.

In attendance, at the TECNO fans club of the UONBI and meet-up events were students, faculty members, and industry executives who were treated to acrobatic shows and motivational speeches. In addition, there were displays of sleek TECNO smartphones that were heavily discounted specifically for the students, the majority of whom confessed their strong affinity with the brand due to its user-friendly features and affordable cost.

The TECNO fans club is embedded in the thriving partnership between Transsion Holdings and the UONBI, which revolves around identifying, and nurturing the skills and talent of students, helping them secure a future of hope and opportunity.

TECNO'S Regional Director Ray Fang said that besides rallying behind Kenya's digitization process, the company is committed to transforming the lives of local youth through skills transfer, mentorship, and employment.

"Partnering with the University of Nairobi is a passionate project we have been working on. We want to be part of this great institution and help students grow their careers and have first-hand experience working with a multinational organization," said Fang.

He said that students who join the TECNO fan club stand a higher chance of benefiting from internship opportunities besides exposure to the firm's cutting-edge technologies and first-hand experience with its wide range of products.

Lincoln Cyprian, a 21-year-old statistics major who participated at the TECNO fans meet-up event, said he looked forward to industrial placement at the firm, to gain exposure to the intricacies of the modern and highly digitized workplace.

The bubbly youngster said that an attachment at TECNO's stores or care centers would help him improve his digital literacy and interpersonal skills, ensuring he executed future jobs with precision.

As part of its corporate social responsibility, TECNO has rolled out a Graduate Trainee Program that identifies talented, proactive university students, develops their skills, and prepares them for highly sought jobs, said Joseph Ndambuki, a senior human resources specialist with TECNO Kenya.

Ndambuki said that graduate trainees are linked up with senior managers as they receive training and mentorship to enable them to execute critical tasks, and develop soft skills like teamwork, empathy, and resilience. He added that Transsion Holdings is committed to bridging the skills gap in Kenya, narrowing the gender divide in technology-related jobs, and inspiring the youth to strive for the greater good.

Kenya's university students have a strong affinity to the Transsion Holdings flagship smartphones, TECNO and Infinix, which they use to undertake studies and online jobs, said Felistas Ngina, a 21-year-old science major at the UONBI.

Alerted by a mutual friend about the TECNO fans' meet-up event, Ngina said she intended to learn about the latest devices and how to secure an attachment or entry-level job at the company. She praised TECNO for offering gainful employment to digitally savvy Kenyan youth while vowing to participate in job fairs organized by the company at her campus in the near future.

A legally binding collaborative agreement between TECNO and the UONBI that is in the works aims to promote students' academic, entrepreneurial, social, and technical skills.

Johnson Ireri Kinyua, the dean of Students at the UONBI, said that the signing of the collaborative agreement, slated later in the year, will mark a critical milestone in academia-industry partnership to foster digital transformation, skills transfer, and job creation in the country.

The empowerment of African youth through training, skills and technology transfer, apprenticeship, and employment has been prioritized by Chinese enterprises in line with the Belt and Road Initiative and nine programs of the eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held in Dakar, Senegal, from Nov. 29 -30, 2021.