How big corporations can give back to society

From what our Kenyan friends tell us, many people in this country have a high opinion of Swiss chocolates. And also, Swiss cheese.

But what if we were to say to you that if you love to eat tasty and firm ugali or a fresh chapati, then Swiss technology almost definitely played a part in that?

Allow us to elaborate:

Kenyan youth are undoubtedly a crucial asset for a strong and thriving Kenya. However, providing the youth with positive and long-term perspectives continues to be a challenge for policy-makers, companies and society.

The Swiss model

Switzerland has one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the world. And here is something which may amaze many in a country like Kenya where families will often make great sacrifices to get their children a university education: Only one third of young Swiss choose to go to university after completing compulsory education, up to the secondary school level. Yet, despite this, Switzerland is the world’s leading innovator. How does this work?  

One answer to this can be found just a few kilometers north of Nairobi, in an industrial park on the side of Thika highway. It is home to the Eastern Africa headquarters of the Bühler Group, a Swiss company. It was founded back in 1860, and to date remains entirely family-owned, despite having grown into a company which today employs around 10,500 persons in 140 countries.

That is why we can confidently say that if you love to eat that firm ugali or fresh chapati, chances are that its ingredients have been ground by a Bühler mill. In fact, the company is the world’s leading provider of technology to the grain processing industry.

But, the machine is only one ingredient of the recipe to success. Despite tremendous technological progress, the key factor for a high-quality product is – and will always remain - the person operating the mill: the miller. That is why - inspired by its longstanding experience rooted in Switzerland’s education system, and without any perspective or expectation of short-term gains – Bühler has invested in establishing the African Milling School.

Each year, dozens of young women and men from Kenya and the region, but also countries as far as Pakistan, Nigeria and South Africa, come to Nairobi and participate in Vocational Education and Training to become professional millers.

The two year apprenticeship programme at the African Milling School offers comprehensive and intensive training, both theoretical and practical. After completing their course, these young people return to their countries with excellent professional perspectives. Today, we are proud to say, 26 young students graduated and received their diploma in milling. To them we extend our congratulations.

The success story of the African Milling School is symptomatic for the system of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Switzerland. That system enables young people to enter the labour market and it has become a key ingredient for our strong and sustainable economic and social development.

After completing compulsory education, a full two-thirds of young Swiss people who finish the compulsory education in any one year, enter a VET programme, preparing them for one of about 250 professions.

These include commercial employees, health care workers, electricians or miller. During the programmes (which last up to four years), they undergo an apprenticeship in order to learn a given trade in practice. It combines classes at a vocational school with on-the-job training at a host company, where the young apprentices are employed and earn their first (and somewhat modest) salaries.

It can be applied here

While the VET System has developed over decades in Switzerland, there is no reason whatsoever why it cannot function well in other countries, too.  Action is needed by government to generate the right laws, assure quality and standards and create incentives for companies. The essential ingredient, however, is and remains the private sector. It is companies which provide jobs, and demand certain skillsets. It is the companies which provide the apprenticeship positions accordingly.

This is how the Swiss system takes into account actual needs and is thus closely correlated with the labour market. As a result, young graduates from apprenticeship programmes have a wealth of job prospects! 

In short, while it is crucial for the government to create the right framework conditions, it is for the companies to take responsibility, hold a long-term vision and give back to society by harnessing the creative energy of youth.

Mr Heckner is the ambassador of Switzerland to Kenya, Mr Schlauri, Principal of the African Milling School, Kenya