Helping young adults

Last year, OPP donated more than 50 MBTI Step I questionnaires and Introduction to Type booklets to Aiducation International to use in their Corporate Career Academy in Kenya. We’re delighted to report that the attendees – the Aiducation Alumni! – were very excited by the self awareness they gained, and how they could use those insights in the future.

Aiducation International is a for-impact organisation that awards merit-based high-school scholarships to gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds in developing countries [source: www.aiducation.org]. The Corporate Career Academy, delivered in partnership with Swiss Re Foundation, was a five-day event designed to help university-level students in Kenya to develop key skills for entering the corporate world.

“The idea of MBTI came up – it was a perfect match with our needs.” Matthias Meier, CEO Aiducation International Switzerland

The MBTI questionnaires were used in the self reflection module at the start of the programme.

MBTI insights: self reflection

Academy mentor Jasmine Keel said, “In Kenya, very often the school education system teaches them a lot, but more about technical skills and pure knowledge. This was, for them, a first opportunity to self reflect: what is my personality, and what is my strength?”

Andrew Kadzoyo, who is studying at the University of Nairobi, said, “[MBTI] will help me a great deal! For one, it will help me to choose the career path that I ought to take...and two, it is going to help me to be able to understand myself and also know how to work on weaknesses.”

For Elizabeth Kalu, a financial economics undergraduate at Strathmore University, knowledge of personal strengths and development areas were important. “The MBTI exercise was really exciting, I was able to learn about my personality. I am ISTJ.” When asked how she thought it would help, she added that it has “...given me more insight to think about what career path I should follow, especially a career that is in line with me loving details and being logical and being responsible.”

MBTI: preparation for life

Aiducation International Switzerland CEO Matthias Meier is very positive about the role of MBTI materials in this academy.

“We developed the Corporate Career Academy programme with HR professionals, and by involving people with the right skills in these areas, the idea of MBTI came up – it was a perfect match with our needs. Also, we can expect that students may be faced with it at a later stage in their life, so why not use it now?”

 “[These students] are bright, they are smart, they are change agents. We should look after them. With corporate partners, we offer topics that are relevant, and that includes using MBTI questionnaires in the personality and skills module. We think it is invaluable preparation and a great experience for these young adults who are most likely looking at personality and self awareness for the very first time.”

We wish all of the Aiducation Alumni the very best of luck with their careers, and hope that they continue to find useful insights from the MBTI framework.

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