Unilever recently launched the 3rd Edition of the ‘Idea Trophy’ Competition, a inter-university innovation contest that will run for a month and include about 500 students aged 25 and below in teams of 3 from the following universities:
- University of Nairobi (UoN)
- Kenyatta University (KU)
- Strathmore University (Strath)
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)
- and Moi University
This competition will focus on the development of personal and entrepreneurial/ business competencies amongst Kenyan undergraduates.
This initiative will be open to all students from five public and private universities who will be required to generate and submit innovative ideas on creating brand awareness and growing usage among their peers in the target schools. In addition they will develop business plans while those qualifying for the final stage will present execution plans which will then be judged for the ultimate prizes.
“We are not blind to the fact that not all fresh graduates are able to secure slots in our job market. However, with skills like these provided in the Idea trophy competition, many of our young people are prepared to think outside the box and stretch their innovations to limits that will guarantee a safe landing zone after school.” said Bruce Odhiambo, Chairman of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund.
The Idea Trophy competition was first launched in the year 2012 and has made a contribution towards students’ personal development goals while offering them a different perspective and experience in readiness to business life gained through working with a global organization such as Unilever.
Unilever through its East African Brand Building Director, James Jakachira, reiterated its commitment to adding quality to the labour market by instilling knowledge and expertise address the current 40% recorded unemployment rate, 70% of which is aged between 15 and 35, in Kenya.
