Mount Kenya University’s (MKU) international nursing apprenticeship programme in Germany has reached a major milestone, with 102 apprentices having benefited from the initiative.

This even as the university continues expanding global career opportunities for its graduates and said it is targeting to increase the number of healthcare professionals apprenticing in German hospitals to over 200 in the coming months.

MKU Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Prof. Simon Gicharu, urged students who have secured work- based learning (employment) in Germany to embrace international opportunities and look beyond local boundaries.

Prof. Gicharu spoke when the students, who were on vacation from Germany, paid him a courtesy call at the university’s Main Campus. He emphasized the importance of German language proficiency, cultural awareness, resilience and thorough preparation when pursuing careers abroad.

He said the programme was helping MKU advance its commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 10 on Reduced Inequalities, noting that the university was designated a UN Academic Impact Hub for SDG 10 in 2021.

“This programme is a true manifestation of reducing inequalities. The students in these programmes are true citizens and modest German language B2 candidates (graduates) of this university and are now in the league of global (civil servants). Indeed, MKU is an agent of reducing inequalities,” Prof. Gicharu said.

“In our training of healthcare workers, we are seeking to emulate the German model, where training is highly practical. You learn a skill and then spend much more time practising it. This gives you an opportunity to master the skill, rather than simply learning it for the purpose of passing examinations.”

He also challenged young people to use their education and skills to create opportunities, build resilience and contribute solutions to society rather than waiting solely for formal employment.

MKU says it plans to scale the initiative beyond 200 apprentices as it prepares subsequent cohorts, strengthening its international partnerships and creating more pathways for Kenyan graduates to access global employment opportunities.

Mount Kenya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi has encouraged MKU nursing graduates working in Germany to embrace global opportunities while maintaining professionalism, resilience and a commitment to continuous learning.

“At MKU, we have an unwavering commitment to fostering international partnerships that create skills, jobs and economic opportunities for our youth. We remain dedicated to contributing to Kenya’s development agenda while strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Kenya and Germany,” he said.

The programme, coordinated through MKU’s Centre for Professional Development, prepares participants through German language training from A1 to B2, medical terminology, clinical nursing and intercultural awareness before they transition into apprenticeship and employment opportunities in Germany.

The students are supported through partnerships involving institutions such as Hochschule Koblenz University of Applied Sciences and AG-Career Hub.

The students shared their experiences and reflected on the opportunities created through MKU’s international partnerships.
Peter Muthaura, a member of the third cohort of 12 nursing students, said the experience had provided valuable professional and cultural exposure, learning and working at a hospital in Germany’s Bad Mergentheim town.

He encouraged prospective participants to take language training seriously, work hard and support one another while adapting to life and work in Germany.

Lynn Brunei, a Mount Kenya University beneficiary of nursing apprenticeship (nursing graduate) now on work -based learning (working) in Germany, shared her journey of balancing professional training, adapting to a new culture and weather and pursuing her dream of caring for people in vulnerable situations.

She said MKU’s preparatory courses played a key role in helping her transition smoothly into learning (life) and work in Germany. She encouraged fellow nursing students to remain focused, embrace new opportunities and prepare themselves adequately for international careers.

“My journey in Germany has been incredible. Balancing my nursing career, adapting to a new culture and weather, and learning to work in a different environment has challenged me, but it has also helped me grow professionally and personally,” she said.

The programme has adopted a largely practical training model, with approximately 97 per cent of the preparation focused on practical skills and three per cent on theory.

Chukulis Abdinoor Dima went to Germany in April 2025 and said while she initially found German language challenging, she found the local people friendly, welcoming and accommodating to foreigners.

“For students enrolling in a nursing apprenticeship program and moving to Germany, there will be a few challenges as you adjust to the new country, culture, and language but things get better as you get used to it, adapt to the new environment and the language becomes easier,” she said