The Media Council of Kenya has announced an Industrial Attachment Programme for journalism and media students.
In a press release dated August 12, the council stated that the programme targets diploma and degree students from accredited universities and colleges in the country.
The process will see the recruitment and distribution of 400 trainees in different regions and will run for one year.
The trainees will be divided into four groups of 100 and will be distributed throughout the country every three months.
Successful students will be placed in various departments of different media houses for three months.
"The Council has seen the need of setting up infrastructure and extending support to promote and strengthen working relations between the media sector and training institutions in Kenya," stated David Omwoyo, the Council's CEO.
Omwoyo explained that the lack of a functional relationship between the media industry and the academia frustrates the attainment of practical industrial exposure.
This has a ripple effect in that it denies students exposure which is critical to skills transfer and progression of students.
The programme is meant to enable students taking media and journalism courses to complete their studies.
MCK's programme comes against the backdrop of students failing to secure an attachment or internship, which is a requirement for them to graduate.
"Students seeking industrial attachment in the extreme are forced to pay for the period should they be lucky to get space," Omwoyo reiterated.
The council and partner media houses across the country will participate in the identification of the students. They will also be required to provide working space and supervision for the students.
Media Council of Kenya will provide up to Ksh15,000 for transport and insurance for the trainees.
