Simba Corporation to train youth in making cars

Simba Corporation has unveiled its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, the Simba Foundation, which will train under privileged youth in technical and business skills in health, education and road safety.

Simba Corporation has interests in motor sales and service, hospitality, investment and financial services. The Foundation has invested over Ksh10 million into its flagship project under the education pillar to provide technical and entrepreneurship skills training to underprivileged youth.

The project dubbed “Unda Future” will be run in partnership with The Eastland’s College of Technology and St Kizito Institute of Vocational Training. The project is a unique automotive Dual Training System (DTS) aimed at offering more practice-oriented vocational training to improve the employability of marginalized youth.

This comes at a time when the government has taken the leadership in spearheading reforms within the technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Industry experience

Speaking during the launch, Simba Corp CEO Adil Popat said the training will offer industry driven syllabus to meet the rising demand for automotive technicians. “This project is the first of its kind in the motor industry,” he said. “It gives the continuing students the opportunity to gain industry experience and on-the-job training through periodic apprenticeships.”

The “Unda Future” project entails two courses:  Automotive Technology and Automobile Body Works Technology, presented in three levels (grade III, II and I) and examined by National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) at the end of each level.

The programme targets men  girls and woman and education financing options are available to those from marginalized backgrounds.

Under Health, the foundation will partner with health institutions to implement sustainable health programs aimed at saving lives and improving the well-being of communities. On Road safety, the foundation will strive to minimize communities’ vulnerability to road disasters through creation of proactive intervention programs that prevent or decrease the effects of road disasters.

Currently there are 30 students pursuing the automotive technology and 30 studying automobile body works technology, one third of them female.

[crp]