According Laura Barker, MD of BlackBark Productions, the organisers of the 2014 Rising Star Awards, in light of the recent headlines around Kenya’s dire skills shortage, it is incredibly encouraging to receive entries from numerous young talented individuals across various sectors.
“It is particularly pleasing to note the diversity, in terms of skills sets and roles, which we see in this year’s entrants, as this confirms the existence of talent across a broad spectrum.”
The awards, now in the third year in South Africa and just launched in Kenya, were established for the purpose of recognising, celebrating and connecting young, talented people who have not only demonstrated achievement and success, but have also contributed in an inspirational manner to the future of Kenya.
Barker adds that these awards are critical as “Not only will a company increase its talent pool by identifying and developing its talented employees, but it will also positively affect the organisation’s competitiveness as a result.”
“While there is an undeniable scarcity of skilled resources in certain sectors, Kenya is also home to an abundance of individuals with untapped potential who either aren’t aware of how to demonstrate their capabilities, or haven’t been given the opportunity to showcase their skills.
“The awards are designed to discover this talent by enabling organisations to engage directly with their employees and provide them with an open platform to present their talent.”
Barker says that the reputable status of the companies from which the finalists originate reinforces the view that engaged and developed employees are crucial to the success of a business.
“A simple yet powerful way in which to engage employees, and effectively focus any development efforts, is to recognise individuals.
“Recognising employees’ abilities and strengths, and then putting those abilities to work and developing those strengths to serve the business almost unfailingly, results in more engaged employees who will deliver superior service and ultimately improve a business’s success.”
The 45 finalists operate in 9 different business sectors, namely Construction. Energy and Chemicals, Entrepreneur/SMME, Banking and Financial Services, Tourism & Hospitality, ICT, Logistics and Supply Chain, Business Services, Service: Public and Private and Manufacturig, Retail and FMCG.
Five finalists are selected per business sector and will join the Rising Star Network, an exclusive network which all Rising Star finalists, judges and mentors belong to.
“While there will be only one Rising Star from each sector, all finalists join the Rising Star Network, a forum providing on-going support and learning, which is vital for further growth.”
The 2014 Rising Stars will be announced at an awards evening at the Hilton in Nairobi on 24 June 2014.
“The 2014 Rising Star Awards finalists have presented impressive credentials and we anticipate an exciting and challenging judging process leading up to the awards evening,” concludes Barker.
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