Jomo Kenyatta Human Resource Students Asscociation (JKHRSA) hosted a pre-attachment training for third year students pursuing human resource management drawn from various universities in Kenya.
The one day-workshop themed: Excellence beyond Academia, was held at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology main campus on May 14, 2026, was geared towards empowering students to transition effectively from academic life to the professional environment.
The students were trained on how to integrate current human resource trends and appropriate workplace conduct.
The trainers took the students through workplace professional requirements, attachment requirements, curriculum vitae writing and interview coaching. The training included a question-and-answer panel session that gave personal attention to students’ individual concerns.
JKHRSA Patron, Dr. Rebecca Maina gave useful tips to students on how to navigate office politics. She also urged students to be teachable and focus on learning from their colleagues.
“There are often complex dynamics in an office. It is important you focus on how much you can learn from those you find there. Avoid judgement of the staff, getting into office gossip or spreading hearsay or unfavorable opinions or views about your supervisors,” she said.
The keynote speaker, Mr. Jay Walemba led a session that focused on teaching students how to boost their employability. He encouraged students to be deliberate in building a personal brand through professional online platforms such as LinkedIn.
Mr. Walemba advised the students to be consistent in their efforts to build a professional personal brand by utilizing all the tools at their disposal to build a corporate image that would attract employers. He impressed on the students to keep attending corporate workshops to build useful networks.
“Be visible in the professional field and make sure your social media posts reflect a competent professional. I had to clean up my content to be a good role model to young professionals, do the same so that you are taken seriously in the professional world,” he said.
Dr. Anne Omamo, a lecturer at JKUAT, took the students through attachment requirements. She highlighted what is expected from them at the workplace, urging them to adhere to professional standards so as to build their reputation and uphold their university’s prestige.
The students also received legal guidance from Ms. Esther Katiba, who took the students through legal pitfalls that exist in the workplace in data handling and interpersonal relations. She briefed participants on common legal cases that can arise from a human resource office including data breach and harassment. She asked students to familiarize themselves with company handbooks and uphold confidentiality while undertaking their duties.
The panel included; HR Expert, Dr Francis Kangure, JKHRSA Patron/ Lecturer, Dr Rebecca Maina, JHub Africa Founder, Dr Lawrence Nderu, Communication expert and Journalist, Mr. Alex Kiptoo and Ms. Mercy Makau.
During panel discussions, the panelists responded to students’ concerns about their place in the age of AI and the future of human resource management.
Dr. Kangure urged them to build on their university training by upskilling, while Dr. Rebecca Maina, advised students to focus on perfecting unique HR skills such as staff retention, as Ms Mercy Makau advocated for self-education and ethical use of AI. Dr Lawrence Nderu challenged students to complement their conventional training with extra courses and be sociable so that their character could supplement their qualifications.
The workshop drew students from JKUAT, Kenyatta University, Kisii University, Mount Kenya University and University of Nairobi. Also in attendance was the Human Resource Certification Board, and the Human Resource Management Professionals Examinations Board (HRMPEB).
